The North American hard-court season progresses this week at the Cincinnati Open, featuring World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 2023 finalist Carlos Alcaraz as the leading contenders.
The Cincinnati Open is commemorating its 125th anniversary. Established in 1899, the tournament is strategically planning for the future with an investment of $260 million allocated for on-site enhancements. These improvements will support an expanded player field and an increased duration of the event starting in 2025. Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer holds the record for the most singles titles, having won seven times, while Boris Becker remains the youngest champion in the tournament’s history, with a total of 17 titles.
American players Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul represent local aspirations at this seventh ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, which commemorates its 125th anniversary this year. Additionally, top five players Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, both former champions at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, are set to compete.
Carlos Alcaraz will participate on hard courts for the first time since reaching the quarter-finals in Miami in March. Currently ranked No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, he has secured major titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon since that time. He is set to commence his competition in Cincinnati against either Alexei Popyrin or Gael Monfils.
Danill Medvedev and Alexander Zverev both have positive experiences in Cincinnati. Fourth seed Medvedev secured the title in 2019 and comes into the tournament with an impressive 18-5 record on hard courts this year. Zverev, who reached the quarterfinals in Montreal, emerged victorious in Cincinnati in 2021.
Jannik Sinner struggled with a right-hip injury during his quarter-final loss to Andrey Rublev in Montreal but will lead the field as the top seed in Cincinnati. The Italian has won four tour-level titles this year, including on hard courts at the Australian Open and in Miami and Rotterdam.
Andrey Rublev arrives in Cincinnati following a successful performance in Montreal. The 26-year-old has previously secured an ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid earlier this year. Hubert Hurkacz, returning from injury, participated in the Montreal tournament and, as the fifth seed, is set to face either a qualifier or Miomir Kecmanovic in his opening match in Ohio. Casper Ruud, seeded seventh, achieved his best result on hard courts this year with a runner-up finish in Acapulco and will compete against Felix Auger-Aliassime or a qualifier in his first match. Notably, Auger-Aliassime recently triumphed over Ruud at the Paris Olympics earlier this month.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Grigor Dimitrov are currently ranked ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth, respectively, in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin. All four contenders for the Nitto ATP Finals are striving for significant tournament performances to surpass eighth-placed Andrey Rublev and seventh-placed Alex de Minaur, who is currently sidelined due to injury and has not competed since Wimbledon.
In addition to Fritz and Paul, there are seven American players competing in the draw, not including qualifiers. Sebastian Korda has progressed to the semi-finals in Montreal. Former US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe will begin his match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while 21-year-old Ben Shelton will compete against fellow American Reilly Opelka in his opening match. Brandon Nakashima, the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion, has received a wild card and will face Fritz. Marcos Giron will open his match against Sebastian Baez.
Arthur Fils, the Hamburg tournament champion, seeks to strengthen his significant lead in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. As a two-time titleholder on the tour, he is aspiring to qualify for a second appearance at the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from December 18 to 22.
Two years ago, Borna Coric, who was ranked No. 152 in the world at the time, made history by becoming the lowest-ranked champion in ATP Masters 1000 history when he won his first title at the Cincinnati tournament. Can unseeded players Matteo Berrettini, Karen Khachanov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, or Jack Draper replicate Coric’s achievement?
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, who secured victory in Cincinnati in 2021, will look to build on their earlier success this year when they won the title in Rome. The second-seeded team consists of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden, while Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni return as the defending champions. Additionally, notable singles players including Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ben Shelton, and Holger Rune will also be participating in the tournament.
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ATP and Cincinnati Open contributed to this column
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