Scouting Report: Sinner, Alcaraz y Zverev lideran en Cincinnati | ATP Tour

Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Sinner, Alcaraz and Zverev lead in Cincinnati

An in-depth rundown of what every fan needs to know about the upcoming week

August 11, 2024

The North American hard-court swing continues at the Cincinnati Open, where Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev headline the draw in the seventh ATP Masters 1000 event of the season.

Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul lead the American hopes, while former champions Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov also return to the Lindner Family Tennis Center. ATPTour.com looks back at the 10 key players for the week ahead.

1) Sinner leads the table: Sinner suffered a right hip injury during his quarter-final loss to Andrey Rublev in Montreal but will be the top seed in Cincinnati. The Italian has won four tour-level titles this year, including three on hard courts at the Australian Open and in Miami and Rotterdam.

2) Alcaraz returns to the tracks: Alcaraz will compete on hard courts for the first time since reaching the quarterfinals in Miami in March. The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings has won two Grand Slams at Roland Garros and Wimbledon since then and begins in Cincinnati against either Alexei Popyrin or Gael Monfils.

3) Former champions Medvedev and Zverev: Medvedev and Zverev have fond memories in Cincinnati. The fourth-seeded Medvedev won the title in 2019 and comes in with an 18-5 record on hard courts this year. Zverev, who reached the quarterfinals in Montreal, triumphed in 2021 in Cincinnati.

See the Singles Table

4) Top 10 Star in Action: Andrey Rublev arrives in Cincinnati having enjoyed a fine run in Montreal. The 26-year-old won an ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid earlier in the year. Hubert Hurkacz returned from injury in Montreal and the fifth seed will play either a qualifier or Miomir Kecmanovic in his opening match in Ohio. Casper Ruud’s best hard-court result this year was a final in Acapulco. The seventh seed will play either Felix Auger-Aliassime or a qualifier in his opening match. Auger-Aliassime defeated Ruud at the Paris Olympics earlier this month.

5) The race to Turin is heating up: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Fritz, Paul and Dimitrov are ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth, respectively, in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The four contenders for the Nitto ATP Finals are aiming to overtake Andrey Rublev, eighth, and Alex de Minaur, seventh, injured and out of action since Wimbledon.

6) Seven Americans in the frame: Along with Fritz and Paul, there are seven Americans in the draw, not counting qualifiers. Sebastian Korda is still alive in Montreal, where he is in the semi-finals. Former US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe opens against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while 21-year-old Ben Shelton faces fellow American Reilly Opelka in his opening match. 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Brandon Nakashima has received a wild card and faces Fritz. Marcos Girón opens against Sebastián Báez.

7) The #NextGenATP French Sons: Hamburg champion Arthur Fils is looking to consolidate his significant lead in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah. The two-time tour-level champion is aiming to return to the Next Gen ATP U20 Finals presented by PIF, which will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 18-22 December.

8) Surprise from an unseen one? HTwo years ago, then World No. 152 Borna Coric became the lowest-ranked champion in ATP Masters 1000 history when he lifted the trophy in Cincinnati to win his first title at this level. Can unseeded Matteo Berrettini, Karen Khachanov, Felix Auger-Aliassime or Jack Draper follow Coric’s path?

9) Granollers/Zeballos lead in doubles: Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos won in Cincinnati in 2021 and will look to add to the Rome title they won as a team earlier this year. Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden are the second seeds, while Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni are the defending champions. Competing in singles are stars Zverev, Tsitsipas, Shelton and Holger Rune.

10) Cincinnati celebrates 125 years: The Cincinnati Open is celebrating its 125th anniversary. Founded in 1899, the tournament is preparing for the future with a $260 million investment in facility upgrades as it prepares for increased player numbers and competition days beginning in 2025. Swiss legend Roger Federer has won the singles title a record seven times, and Boris Becker (17) is the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.