Cincinnati Main Draw Opens: Zverev, Djokovic and Draper Star on Day One

Zverev Targets a Third Cincinnati Crown in a Wide-Open Field

The Cincinnati Open main draw gets underway on Thursday at Lindner Family Tennis Center, opening the final Masters-level week before the US Open. Qualifying was disrupted by heavy rain on Wednesday, compressing schedules and pushing several matches deep into the evening — but from Thursday, championship tennis takes centre stage, and the field has rarely looked as open. Jannik Sinner is absent with a wrist complaint; Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the draw to rest after a demanding clay-court summer. The gate is ajar.

The man best positioned to walk through it is Alexander Zverev. The German arrives as ATP top seed, a two-time former champion in Cincinnati (2021, 2023), and the only member of the world's top three competing this week. His opening assignment comes against either Cameron Norrie or Dino Prizmic. Zverev enters the week having held firm throughout the summer hard-court swing, and with the draw lacking its two customary favourites, his path to Sunday's final looks as navigable as it has been in years.

Djokovic Opens — and Draper Lurks in Round Three

Sharing the top half of the draw is Novak Djokovic, who opens against Thiago Agustín Tirante or Jan Choinski. The 39-year-old Serbian, still seeking his first Masters 1000 title of 2026, views the Cincinnati–New York double-header as central to his late-season ambitions. Should Djokovic win his first two matches, his projected third-round opponent is British wild card Jack Draper — a player who defeated him at Indian Wells in March before a shoulder injury curtailed the summer.

Draper opens Thursday in the session's most watched slot, stepping onto P&G Stadium Court against Spain's Martin Landaluce from 11 a.m. local time. Using Cincinnati as a fitness baseline ahead of Flushing Meadows, the world No. 12 when healthy faces Matteo Arnaldi in a likely round-two assignment before any potential Djokovic rematch. His section is one of the draw's most consequential.

WTA: Sabalenka Leads as Swiatek and Rybakina Pursue Toronto Glory

Aryna Sabalenka is the WTA top seed in Cincinnati this week, stepping into the primary spotlight with Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina both absent — the two are competing in this afternoon's WTA Canadian Open final in Toronto. The 96-player WTA draw grants first-round byes to all 32 seeds, so Sabalenka does not take the court on day one. Thursday's women's action belongs to direct entrants, wildcards and qualifiers who survived Wednesday's rain-disrupted qualifying slate.

Moustached Alcaraz cruises past Cerundolo in Shanghai opener

Coco Gauff, seeded in Cincinnati following her Toronto semi-final run on Wednesday, and Mirra Andreeva are among the names to track when the seeded contingent enters in the second round. The separation of the tour's top names across two continents on the same afternoon is unusual, and it underlines just how packed this North American summer swing has become.

The Final Checkpoint Before New York

Cincinnati is the last Masters-level audition before the US Open begins on 25 August. For Zverev, it is a chance at a third title at a tournament that has become something of a home away from home. For Djokovic, it is form-building at a crucial juncture. And for Draper, stepping onto court this morning is the simplest of imperatives: prove the shoulder is right, win a match, and make the US Open on your own terms. The main draw begins at 11 a.m. local time.