The Cincinnati Open draw is out, and like Montreal, it’s not the easiest tournament to assess on paper.
Ben Shelton, Learner Tien, Rafael Jódar and Brandon Nakashima are all still alive in Montreal at the time of writing, and backing up a deep run with another Masters 1000 almost immediately afterwards is never straightforward, so assessing their paths isn’t straightforward.
With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz both absent, Alexander Zverev and the returning Novak Djokovic headline another wide-open Masters draw, while Félix Auger-Aliassime comes back after missing his home event with a back injury.
Cincinnati has historically been my favourite Masters 1000. The quicker courts generally reward attacking tennis, and during the Federer years it produced some of his best stuff.
His 2015 run probably summed it up best when Feliciano López told him at the net: “You’re quicker than ever, huh? Fucking flying all over the court.”
We probably won’t see anyone flying around quite like Federer did that week, but with no Sinner or Alcaraz and several Montreal contenders arriving on a tight turnaround, we hopefully get a decent tournament, despite another two-week Masters 1000 program.
Here’s how the draw shapes up.
Tournament Info
- Event Name: Cincinnati Open
- Founded: 1881
- Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Centre, 5460 Courseview Dr, Mason, OH 45040, United States
- Surface: Outdoor Hard Court
- Ball: Wilson US Open
- Current Men’s Champion: Carlos Alcaraz
- Current Men’s Doubles Champions: Nikola Mektić / Rajeev Ram
- Current Women’s Champion: Iga Świątek
- Current Women’s Doubles Champions: Gabriela Dabrowski / Erin Routliffe
- Category: ATP Masters 1000
- Draw Size: 96 Singles / 48 Qualifying / 32 Doubles
- Dates: 13 – 23 August, 2026
- Prize Money: $9,415,725 – Full Cincinnati Open Prize Money breakdown.
Cincinnati Open 2026 Seeds
Seeds
- Alexander Zverev
- Félix Auger-Aliassime
- Novak Djokovic
- Daniil Medvedev
- Alex de Minaur
- Taylor Fritz
- Flavio Cobolli
- Ben Shelton
- Jiří Lehečka
- Lorenzo Musetti
- Casper Ruud
- Rafael Jódar
- Andrey Rublev
- Jakub Menšík
- Valentin Vacherot
- Learner Tien
- Frances Tiafoe
- Tommy Paul
- Luciano Darderi
- Francisco Cerúndolo
- Arthur Fils
- Alejandro Tabilo
- João Fonseca
- Ugo Humbert
- Arthur Rinderknech
- Tomás Martín Etcheverry
- Brandon Nakashima
- Alexander Blockx
- Ignacio Buse
- Zizou Bergs
- Matteo Arnaldi
- Arthur Fery
Wild Cards
- Grigor Dimitrov
- Jack Draper
- Gaël Monfils
- Stan Wawrinka
Protected Ranking
- Thanasi Kokkinakis
- Shang Juncheng
Withdrawals
- Carlos Alcaraz → replaced by Mattia Bellucci
- Alexander Bublik → replaced by Márton Fucsovics
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina → replaced by Adam Walton
- Sebastian Korda → replaced by Valentin Royer
- Jaume Munar → replaced by Thanasi Kokkinakis
- Ethan Quinn → replaced by Lorenzo Sonego
- Holger Rune → replaced by Daniel Mérida
- Jannik Sinner → replaced by Stefanos Tsitsipas
Qualifiers
- Soon
Lucky Losers
- Soon
2026 Cincinnati Draw
Top Half
Alexander Zverev (1) — Bye
Cameron Norrie vs Dino Prizmic
Marton Fucsovics vs Terence Atmane
Tomas Martin Etcheverry (26) — Bye
Tommy Paul (18) — Bye
Corentin Moutet vs Hubert Hurkacz
Qualifier vs Adolfo Daniel Vallejo
Valentin Vacherot (15) — Bye
Rafael Jodar (12) — Bye
Denis Shapovalov vs Adrian Mannarino
Roman Andres Burruchaga vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Alejandro Tabilo (22) — Bye
Alexander Blockx (28) — Bye
Mariano Navone vs Raphael Collignon
Camilo Ugo Carabelli vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Flavio Cobolli (7) — Bye
Novak Djokovic (3) — Bye
Thiago Agustin Tirante vs Jan Choinski
Martin Landaluce vs Jack Draper (WC)
Matteo Arnaldi (31) — Bye
Luciano Darderi (19) — Bye
Rinky Hijikata (WC) vs Gael Monfils (WC)
Zachary Svajda vs Mattia Bellucci
Jakub Mensik (14) — Bye
Jiri Lehecka (9) — Bye
Qualifier vs Matteo Berrettini
Yannick Hanfmann vs Qualifier
Arthur Fils (21) — Bye
Arthur Fery (32) — Bye
Qualifier vs James Duckworth
Vit Kopriva vs Qualifier
Alex de Minaur (5) — Bye
Bottom Half
Taylor Fritz (6) — Bye
Alex Michelsen vs Jesper de Jong
Daniel Merida vs Marin Cilic (WC)
Zizou Bergs (30) — Bye
Joao Fonseca (23) — Bye
Botic van de Zandschulp vs Tallon Griekspoor
Qualifier vs Kamil Majchrzak
Casper Ruud (11) — Bye
Andrey Rublev (13) — Bye
Tomas Machac vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Nuno Borges vs Thanasi Kokkinakis (PR)
Francisco Cerundolo (20) — Bye
Brandon Nakashima (27) — Bye
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Karen Khachanov
Hamad Medjedovic vs Qualifier
Daniil Medvedev (4) — Bye
Ben Shelton (8) — Bye
Qualifier vs Jenson Brooksby
Adam Walton vs Qualifier
Ignacio Buse (29) — Bye
Ugo Humbert (24) — Bye
Fabian Marozsan vs Qualifier
Qualifier vs Daniel Altmaier
Lorenzo Musetti (10) — Bye
Learner Tien (16) — Bye
Sebastian Baez vs Grigor Dimitrov (WC)
Juncheng Shang (PR) vs Lorenzo Sonego
Frances Tiafoe (17) — Bye
Arthur Rinderknech (25) — Bye
Qualifier vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo
Valentin Royer vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Felix Auger-Aliassime (2) — Bye
Thoughts on the Draw
First Quarter: Led by Alexander Zverev (1)
Seeded Players: Alexander Zverev (1), Flavio Cobolli (7), Rafael Jódar (12), Valentin Vacherot (15), Tommy Paul (18), Alejandro Tabilo (22), Tomás Martín Etcheverry (26), Alexander Blockx (28)
Notable Early Matches
- Cameron Norrie vs Dino Prižmić
- Corentin Moutet vs Hubert Hurkacz
- Denis Shapovalov vs Adrian Mannarino
- Román Burruchaga vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Analysis
Alexander Zverev once again finds himself at the top of a Masters 1000 draw, and with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz absent, there won’t be many better opportunities for him to add another big hard-court title.
His Montreal campaign ended almost as soon as it started against Tallon Griekspoor, so he’ll be looking for a much better showing in Cincinnati.
The German opens against either Cameron Norrie or Dino Prižmić. Neither is the ideal first match after a bye, as Norrie never says die, and Prižmić has upset seeds before, but Zverev should be heavily favoured against both, and his projected third-round opponent is Tomás Martín Etcheverry.
Things become more interesting in the last sixteen, where Tommy Paul and Valentin Vacherot are the leading seeds. Paul-Lorenze is naturally the bigger danger on a North American hard court, although his season has never really gathered sustained momentum.
The other half of the quarter is far less predictable.
Rafael Jódar is rapidly becoming one of the more interesting names on Tour and continues to look increasingly comfortable at this level. His opening match will come against Denis Shapovalov or Adrian Mannarino before a potential third-round meeting with Alejandro Tabilo or Jan-Lennard Struff.
That’s not a particularly friendly route given he’ll have a very short turnaround from Montreal.
Cobolli is in this section and opens against Miomir Kecmanović or Camilo Ugo Carabelli, before potentially facing Alexander Blockx or Mariano Navone. The Italian has produced his best results on clay and grass, so he’s due some results on hard court in what has already been a strong season.
Blockx is also worth watching. The Belgian has plenty of clean ball striking and doesn’t look out of place against established Tour players, although his week-to-week consistency is still developing.
Overall, Zverev has little to complain about. There are dangerous players dotted throughout the section, but nobody I’d consider a nightmare draw for him before the quarter-finals.
If he avoids another flat performance like Montreal, he should be expecting to reach the last eight.
Second Quarter: Led by Novak Djokovic (3)
Seeded Players: Novak Djokovic (3), Alex de Minaur (5), Jiří Lehečka (9), Jakub Menšík (14), Luciano Darderi (19), Arthur Fils (21), Alexander Fery (32), Matteo Arnaldi (31)
Notable Early Matches
- Thiago Tirante vs Jan Choinski
- Martin Landaluce vs Jack Draper (WC)
- Rinky Hijikata (WC) vs Gaël Monfils (WC)
- Qualifier vs Matteo Berrettini
Analysis
Novak Djokovic makes his return to Tour action for the first time since Wimbledon, and Cincinnati should tell us plenty about where his game is heading into the US Open.
The Serbian has won this title three times and, with Sinner and Alcaraz absent, he immediately becomes one of the obvious favourites despite having played very little tennis over the last few months.
His opening match will be against Thiago Tirante or Jan Choinski.
Tirante has produced some stellar tennis during the North American hard-court swing, so that could be a surprisingly useful early test rather than the routine opener Djokovic might have preferred.
The third round is where the draw gets particularly interesting.
Jack Draper has received a wildcard and opens against Martin Landaluce, with Matteo Arnaldi waiting for the winner. Whoever survives that section is Djokovic’s projected opponent.
Draper’s level when fit is clearly high enough to cause problems, but fitness remains the obvious question. Being in the draw and actually getting through several matches in succession have been two very different things for him lately, and his Montreal campaign basically ended in tears.
Further down, Jakub Menšík and Luciano Darderi are seeded to meet in the third round.
Menšík possesses the sort of first-strike game that can bother Djokovic if he’s serving well, while Darderi continues to become a more rounded player rather than someone who is classed as a clay courter.
Gaël Monfils against Rinky Hijikata is another fun first-rounder, with Darderi awaiting the winner.
The bottom section is headed by Alex de Boulter, who starts against Vít Kopřiva or a qualifier and has probably been handed the softer route of the two leading seeds.
Arthur Fery, Arthur Fils and Jiří Lehečka are the main obstacles.
Fery comes in seeded after his Wimbledon exploits, but asking him to beat de Minaur over three sets on an outdoor hard court is still a different proposition. Fils has the athleticism and weight of shot to trouble anybody, while Lehečka remains dangerous when his first serve and forehand are clicking.
A Djokovic vs de Minaur quarter-final is the obvious projection. But how much should we trust Djokovic immediately after another spell away from competition? That’s difficult to answer, and I’ll always back Nole after his stance in 2020/2021, but he hasn’t really clicked into top gear in a while.
Third Quarter: Led by Daniil Medvedev (4)
Seeded Players: Daniil Medvedev (4), Taylor Fritz (6), Casper Ruud (11), Andrey Rublev (13), Francisco Cerúndolo (20), João Fonseca (23), Brandon Nakashima (27), Zizou Bergs (30)
Notable Early Matches
- Alex Michelsen vs Jesper de Jong
- Daniel Mérida vs Marin Čilić (WC)
- Botic van de Zandschulp vs Tallon Griekspoor
- Nuno Borges vs Thanasi Kokkinakis (PR)
Analysis
This is arguably the hardest quarter to predict.
Taylor Fritz occupies the top spot in the section and should appreciate avoiding Zverev and Djokovic until the semi-finals. The American opens against Alex Michelsen or Jesper de Jong.
Michelsen is the obvious danger there. He’s comfortable on hard courts, takes the ball early and won’t be intimidated by playing another American higher up the rankings.
Further down, João Fonseca and Casper Ruud are seeded to collide in the fourth round.
Fonseca remains one of those players where the forehand can take the racquet out of an opponent’s hand, but his results still fluctuate far more than they eventually should once he matures.
Ruud is never going to get the same respect on hard courts as he does on clay, but he’s reached a US Open final and remains far more accomplished on the surface than the usual stereotype suggests and will be looking to avenge his loss to Fonseca in Montreal.
The bottom part of the quarter contains two Russians desperate to rediscover their best level.
Andrey Rublev has Tomáš Macháč, Pablo Carreño Busta, Nuno Borges and Thanasi Kokkinakis in his immediate section, while Daniil Medvedev could face Brandon Nakashima or Karen Khachanov before the last sixteen.
Nakashima’s clean, compact game is particularly well suited to hard courts, and he rarely gives much away for free. Against a Medvedev who has been far less reliable than during his peak years, that’s exactly the sort of matchup Meddy would like to avoid.
Khachanov presents a different problem with his serve and forehand, while Alexander Kovacevic is also capable of playing aggressive hard-court tennis if he gets through their opening match.
Medvedev is the highest seed here, but I’m not convinced that makes him the man to beat given what he’s produced this season.
Fritz has the more dependable game at the moment, and the conditions should suit him. If his body/knee has recovered properly from a busy summer, he looks the most likely semi-finalist from this quarter.
Fourth Quarter: Led by Félix Auger-Aliassime (2)
Seeded Players: Félix Auger-Aliassime (2), Ben Shelton (8), Lorenzo Musetti (10), Learner Tien (16), Frances Tiafoe (17), Ugo Humbert (24), Arthur Rinderknech (25), Ignacio Buse (29)
Notable Early Matches
- Qualifier vs Jenson Brooksby
- Sebastián Báez vs Grigor Dimitrov (WC)
- Shang Juncheng (PR) vs Lorenzo Sonego
- Valentin Royer vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Analysis
Félix Auger-Aliassime missed Montreal with a back problem, so the first question isn’t really about his draw; it’s how close he is to full fitness.
If he’s healthy, Cincinnati presents an excellent opportunity. If he’s still managing the injury, his opening match could expose it immediately.
The Canadian faces either Valentin Royer or Stefanos Tsitsipas in his opener.
Tsitsipas is nowhere near as big a threat as he once was, particularly on hard courts, but there’s probably still enough quality there to make him an awkward first match for somebody coming back from an injury.
Arthur Rinderknech could then await in round three, and his serve makes him another player you don’t particularly want to face before you’ve found your rhythm.
Learner Tien and Frances Tiafoe are positioned in the same section.
Tien’s ability to absorb pace, redirect the ball and make opponents play an extra shot has already caused plenty of established players problems. Tiafoe is almost the complete opposite stylistically: explosive, athletic and capable of going through patches where everything happens very quickly.
Grigor Dimitrov is the wildcard in that mini-section.
The Bulgarian opens against Sebastián Báez and, assuming his body holds up, still possesses more than enough variety and timing to beat either Tien or Tiafoe.
At the top of the quarter sits Ben Shelton.
He opens against Jenson Brooksby or a qualifier, who you’d always say is tricky but he’s not had many wins of late.
Ignacio Buse is the projected third-round opponent, before either Ugo Humbert or Lorenzo Musetti in the last sixteen.
Humbert can be extremely dangerous when he’s taking the ball early on a quick court, whereas Musetti is one you’d rather back on clay than on a North American hard court.
Shelton’s serve gives him such a significant base level on this surface that he doesn’t necessarily need to play brilliantly to get through the first few rounds.
Best First-Round Matches to Watch
Martin Landaluce vs Jack Draper – All eyes will be on Draper’s fitness after another disrupted spell. Landaluce has struggled for wins lately, but there’s no guarantee the Brit can immediately rediscover his best level. The winner could eventually land Novak Djokovic in the third round.
Cameron Norrie vs Dino Prižmić – An established Tour regular against one of the more promising young players in the draw. Norrie’s awkward game makes him difficult to break down, while Prižmić has enough weight of shot to make this a genuine test.
Rinky Hijikata vs Gaël Monfils – Monfils is always worth watching, and there won’t be many more opportunities to see him at this level.
Botic van de Zandschulp vs Tallon Griekspoor – An all-Dutch matchup between two players capable of taking out much bigger names when their confidence is high. Griekspoor’s serve and forehand give him the greater firepower, but Van de Zandschulp is rarely an easy opponent.
Sebastian Báez vs Grigor Dimitrov – Dimitrov returns with a wildcard and, when healthy, remains comfortably the more natural hard-court player. Báez will try to turn it into a physical contest and see exactly how much tennis is in the Bulgarian’s legs.
Valentin Royer vs Stefanos Tsitsipas – Tsitsipas has fallen a long way from the position he occupied a few seasons ago, which means matches like this no longer feel routine. The reward for the winner is a second-round meeting with Félix Auger-Aliassime.
