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A growing contingent of high-profile players on the ATP Tour have made it clear that they are not a fan of the 12-day Masters 1000 tournaments.

As part of ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi’s OneVision plan, seven of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments have been expanded to 12 days: Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati and Shanghai. The singles main draws at these events now feature 96 players.

Monte Carlo and Paris are the only Masters events that still have the traditional single-week, 56-player format.

Here, we look at the criticisms seven big names have levelled at the controversial new Masters 1000 format.

Jannik Sinner – “We lose a little bit of the days of the week”

World No 1 Jannik Sinner became the latest star to weigh in on the topic after reaching the final at the 2025 Cincinnati Masters.

“My personal view, I love the one-week events,” the Italian said.

“I love it when you see that the tournament in Monaco, for example, you have for Monte Carlo, you have this one-week event, and you have the first-round matches which are incredibly good. And if one good seeded-player loses, the next match is an incredible match still, and you have the quarter-finals and you know exactly when you buy the tickets.

“You have the quarter-finals and then you have the semi-final, which is Saturday, and then you have finally Sunday. And now I lost a little bit of the view of when does actually a finalist [play], because it used to be always Sunday.

“Now, here [in Cincinnati] it’s Monday. In Toronto, it’s Wednesday or Thursday. So it’s difficult even for us players. We lose a little bit of the days of the week, I would say.”

Carlos Alcaraz – “One-week format is better for tennis”

During the 2025 Barcelona Open, Carlos Alcaraz declared: “The one week ones are better. Some will think that in two weeks there are days of rest, but that is not the case.

“You train, you have to mentally prepare for the game, prepare for it… you’re not resting, really. It’s two full weeks. That’s why I prefer the one-week Masters 1000. For me, it’s better for tennis.”

Novak Djokovic – “I’m personally, overall, not a fan”

In May 2023, Novak Djokovic said: “It depends really from which angle you’re looking at it. I mean, I’m personally, overall, not a fan of that because I feel like we already have four Grand Slams a year that take two plus one week eventually if you go all the way with training.

“You spend 10 to 12 weeks only in Grand Slams. Now we’re going to have eight out of nine 1000 events be the same for next year: pretty much a two-week event.

“As I said it depends from which perspective you are looking at. If you’re a fan, of course an extra day of seeing the top players is great because you have more tennis in your city. I understand from that point of view.

“You mentioned that it might be advantage because of the recovery. Yes, it could be the case in that given tournament.

“But then if you play all the big events on clay, for example, you played Indian Wells and Miami, that is also kind of a month duration for two events, then you play Monte Carlo, Barcelona, then back to back Rome and Madrid, if you play really well and go all the way, you’re maybe not the freshest for Roland Garros.”

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Alexander Zverev – “I have not heard a single player say that they love the two-week Masters events”

Appearing on the Nothing Major podcast, Alexander Zverev said: “You have the nine Masters 1000 events, which are mandatory; most of them are two-week-long events now, except Monte-Carlo and Paris Bercy — which I think are the best two weeks now on the ATP calendar.

“I think for a fan and every single tennis player, Paris Bercy was awesome last year. You get there, you play your five matches, and you get out of there.

“You do not have to stick around or practice in between matches. That is how Masters events used to be and I think all the players loved it.

“I am not a fan of where this is going, because if you take Alex de Minaur, for example. He played his last match at Davis Cup on the 25th November, and he played his first match of the United Cup on the 27th December.

“So you have a month of off-season. How are you going to take two weeks off and prepare your body for a new season? You don’t have the time to do those things any more.

“I think this is one subject where the ATP has to really think about it and find a solution about it, and to be honest, I have not heard a single player say that they love the two-week Masters events. I don’t even think the fans like that.

“They don’t like waiting for two days for their favourite player to play again. I understand tennis is a business, but I am not sure that business plan is working very well right now.”

Jack Draper – “The big thing is, I think the quality can suffer a little bit”

During the 2025 Madrid Masters, Jack Draper said: “I think the way the tour is at the moment and these two-week events and less weeks to be at home, less weeks to train, it just seems like you’re on a constant rabbit wheel, and there’s no way off it.

“I think that’s scary to think about as a player. You know, to think that, look, I know we’re earning good money, and we’re playing in front of great crowds, and something I love to do, but it’s mentally very, very taxing.

“[It’s] something that I hope that potentially the ATP and the tours come together at some point and, I don’t know, clean it up a little bit, I suppose, to make it so that there is a bit more space to train and to work on our bodies.

“I think for me, the big thing is, I think the quality can suffer a little bit. I think there’s a lot of top players who are in and out with their performances, and it’s just purely because it’s just overplaying.

“People look on TV and they think, ‘Oh, that was a bad performance’ and stuff. It is mentally difficult every day to show up and to give it a hundred percent. And, you know, we have lives as well, there’s things going on off the court all the time. We’re not robots.

“I think it is a scary proposition what’s ahead, you know, the fact that it is a long career. But then again, you know, I don’t have to play until I’m 35, I can do everything and get the best out of myself, and I’ll stop when I feel like I’m ready.”

Taylor Fritz – “If we can lengthen the off-season…”

Speaking during the 2025 Canadian Open, Taylor Fritz said: “To be honest, the way I see it, if we’re going to have this stretch of three weeks, if we’re going to go back to how it used to be, one week each, if it’s going to mean we’re going to add another tournament, then I would be against it.

“But if it’s going to mean that we make these Masters 1000s one week and we can lengthen the off-season, to give those extra weeks back at the end of the season, and give us a six/seven week off-season rather than a four week off-season, that would be massive and I would be way in favour of doing the one week events.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas – “A backwards move”

In a post on Twitter in November 2024, Stefanos Tsitsipas wrote: “The two-week Masters 1000s have turned into a drag. The quality has definitely dropped.

“Players aren’t getting the recovery or training time they need, with constant matches and no space for the intense work off the court.

“It’s ironic that the @atptour committed to this format without knowing if it could actually improve the schedule, but the quality likewise. Paris got it right, done in a week. Exciting and easy to follow. Just how it’s supposed to be.

“If the goal was to ease the calendar, extending every 1000 to two weeks is a backwards move. Sometimes, it feels like they’re fixing what wasn’t broken.”

READ NEXT: What needs to happen for Novak Djokovic to win a 25th Grand Slam? Legendary coach reveals

The post Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev: 7 top ATP stars who have criticised 12-day Masters format appeared first on Tennis365.

The Cincinnati Open men’s and women’s singles finals have been set, and tennis fans have plenty to dig their teeth into on Monday.

ATP fans will get the chance to enjoy the latest instalment of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s rivalry when they meet in the men’s singles final, a fourth straight ‘big’ final between the two.

While, the women’s final also puts together a previous Grand Slam final line-up, with Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini both looking for their second title of 2025.

A total of 1,000 ranking points is up for grabs for the winner of the men’s and women’s singles titles, but what prize money is available in Cincinnati? Here, we take a look.

Men’s singles prize money

The blockbuster final between world No 1 Sinner and world No 2 Alcaraz is the first on court, with the men’s singles championship match set to start at 3pm local time.

It will be the 14th career meeting between the two, with Alcaraz leading the head-to-head 8-5, though it was Sinner who prevailed when they last met in the Wimbledon final.

Reigning champion Sinner will look to become just the fifth man in the Open Era to successfully defend the Cincinnati Open title, while Alcaraz will look to go one win further than his 2023 runner-up finish.

Both the Italian and Spaniard are already inside the top 10 of men’s singles players to earn the most career prize money, and Monday’s champion is set for another staggering payday.

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Whoever prevails between Sinner and Alcaraz will earn a staggering $1,124,380, the biggest prize money payout in Cincinnati Open history.

That is up on the $1,049,460 that Sinner earned for his 2024 triumph twelve months ago, with the runner-up prize money also set to increase.

Meanwhile, whoever is beaten in Monday’s final will earn $597,890 in winnings, up from the $573,090 earned by the beaten 2024 finalist Frances Tiafoe.

Women’s singles prize money

An intriguing women’s singles final, set to start at 6pm local time, sees a bang-in-form Swiatek face off against the ever-resilient Paolini, with both women looking for a first Cincinnati title.

After semi-final defeats in 2023 and 2024, Swiatek’s victory over Elena Rybakina on Sunday powered her into her first Cincinnati Open final, while Paolini battled past Veronika Kudermetova.

World No 3 and third seed Swiatek enters as a pretty significant favourite for the final, dropping just one set across her five previous encounters against seventh seed Paolini.

The winner of the women’s singles title in Cincinnati does not earn as much as the men’s champion, though there is still a significant payout up for grabs.

Whoever prevails between Swiatek and Paolini will earn an impressive $752,275 in winnings, up from the $523,485 won by 2024 champion Aryna Sabalenka twelve months ago.

Meanwhile, the runner-up will be awarded $391,600 in prize money, up from the $308,320 won by Jessica Pegula for reaching the final back in 2024.

Victory for Swiatek would push her closer to Venus Williams in the all-time WTA prize money standings, potentially moving up into second place in the near future.

Read Next: What Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini said ahead of their Cincinnati Open showdown

The post What prize money will 2025 Cincinnati Open men’s and women’s singles champions receive? appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have ended the debate over whether they will take part in the revamped US Open mixed doubles, with the top two players in men’s tennis confirmed entrants in the draw.

With Sinner and Alcaraz making it through to the Cincinnati Masters final, there was an expectation that they may be forced to pull out of the mixed doubles event in New York, which gets underway on Tuesday and reaches a swift conclusion the following day.

Sinner’s participation appeared to be especially uncertain after partner Emma Navarro opted to pull out of the event on Saturday.

Yet one of the most talked-about tennis events of 2025 will feature Sinner and Alcaraz, after an enticing draw was announced by US Open chiefs.

Alcaraz’s eagerly anticipated partnership with 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu will become a reality, and they have been handed an eye-catching first round match, as they will take on 2025 US Open women’s finalist Jessica Pegula and last year’s men’s semi-finalist Jack Draper.

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Sinner will be one of the favourites to win the mixed doubles title after it was confirmed he will be paired with world No 2 doubles player Katerina Siniakova from Czechia.

Novak Djokovic will play his first match since the Wimbledon semi-finals as he teams up with Olga Danilovic, as they take on Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev.

Iga Swiatek will have a quick turnaround from her Cincinnati final on Monday when she teams up with Casper Ruud to take on Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe.

The enticing pairing of Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils will play American Caty McNally and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, with Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka another star pairing.

Amid the star names, 2024 US Open mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori may be among the favourites to lift the title as they are a proven team who will be more familiar with how each play than most of the pairings who will take to the court for the first time when they play in the Grand Slam event.

Sinner, Alcaraz and Swiatek can expect a later start for their opening matches on Tuesday, but it is not ideal preparation ahead of a Grand Slam singles competition that gets underway on Sunday.

US Open Mixed Doubles draw

Draper & Pegula vs Raducanu & Alcaraz

Djokovic & Danilovic vs Andreeva & Medvedev

Swiatek & Ruud vs Keys & Tiafoe

Osaka & Monfils vs McNally & Musetti

Siniakova & Sinner vs Bencic & Zverev

Townsend & Shelton vs Anisimova & Rune

Williams & Opelka vs Muchova & Rublev

Errani & Vavassori vs Rybakina & Fritz

READ NEXT: US Open mixed doubles prize money confirmed – are Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz pulling out?

The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner make US Open mixed doubles decision as draw is confirmed appeared first on Tennis365.

Winning the US Open is the toughest challenge in tennis, according to celebrated coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

The final Grand Slam of the year is set to get underway later this month, with Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka preparing to defend their titles in New York.

While the glamour of playing on an Arthur Ashe Stadium court that is the biggest in tennis appears to be a stage any tennis player would relish, Mouratoglou has highlighted the challenges of competing at the US Open.

The French coach famously guided Serena Williams to success in numerous Grand Slam tournaments and was caught up in one of the more contentious moments in recent years when he was accused of illegal coaching of the American legend back in 2018.

Williams received a code violation for coaching and lost her cool in an incident that overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s first Grand Slam title win.

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Now Mouratoglou has outlined the challenges of playing at the US Open, as he suggested it is the most demanding major of the tennis year.

“When you play the US Open, your match is only part of your day. The other part is surviving New York’s logistics,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

“The distance from Manhattan to the stadium is long, and when traffic hits, it’s unpredictable. You need to plan everything around it: when to leave, how to avoid getting stuck, even how to recover in between.

“Add to that the distractions of the city: world-class restaurants, parties, nightlife… New York offers a thousand temptations, and staying 100% focused is a challenge for some players.”

He went on to suggest fitness issues often complicate the hurdles players need to leap over to lift the title in New York.

“It’s the last Slam of the year, coming after an intense stretch where players have already played Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, sometimes with the Olympics in between,” he continued.

“By September, many arrive completely drained. I’ve seen it with Carlos Alcaraz last year: when he played and won Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, and then, the final of the Olympic Games by the time he started the US swing, he was “dead” physically.”

Mouratoglou went on to suggest the New York heat can be even more demanding than players endure at the Australian Open in Melbourne and he concluded by highlighting the different challenge of playing under the lights in a night session.

“Day matches are hotter, windier, and faster,” he added. “At night, the wind usually drops, the humidity rises, and the ball travels differently.

“It’s almost like playing two different tournaments and adapting quickly is key to surviving the draw.”

The world’s best players will need to overcome all of these challenges to lift the US Open title, where only the strongest prevail.

READ NEXT: US Open mixed doubles prize money confirmed – are Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz pulling out?

The post Patrick Mouratoglou reveals unexpected problems all players face at the US Open appeared first on Tennis365.

The prize money for the US Open mixed doubles competition has been revealed and it won’t just be the winners who enjoy a windfall from the new-look tournament.

There has been plenty of controversy around an event that is an invitation-only competition, amid widespread suggestions that the winners should not be presented with a Grand Slam title.

Doubles specialists are missing out on a payday for an event that could have helped to fund their careers, but US Open chiefs will argue the event is shining a spotlight on a mixed doubles competition that often gets minimal attention.

Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu’s partnership has been one of the most talked about in the build-up to the tournament, with world No 1 Jannik Sinner a possible absentee after his partner Emma Navarro pulled out.

Britain’s Jack Draper has been paired with Jessica Pegula after their partners pulled out, with the predicted withdrawals from what is essentially an exhibition event now flowing.

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Most of the teams will never have played together before, but the prize money on offer confirms this will be a highly lucrative two-day event when it gets underway on Tuesday.

As has been widely promoted, the winning team will be handed $1million in prize money, but the cash will also flow down to teams that fail to perform in the quick-fire event.

The runners-up will collect $400,000 to share between them, while semi-finalists are in line for $200,000.

Quarter-finalists will take home $100,000 and teams that lose in the opening round will be handed $20,000.

The format of the competition has also been a point of controversy, with best-of-three-set matches played over just four games, with a deciding point at deuce and a tie-breaker if the scores are level at 4-4.

The final will be played over a conventional three sets, with six games required to win and a tie-break to decide the outcome if the scores reach 6-6.

With the competition being played over just two days and starting on Tuesday, there must be a prospect of high-profile withdrawals due to players still playing in the Cincinnati Masters until Monday.

Defending US Open mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and current women’s doubles world No 1 Taylor Townsend are among the players competing and they will probably have the best chance of success against players who are not used to playing doubles and especially mixed doubles.

Yet players like men’s world No 1 Lloyd Glasspool and his partner Julian Cash have not been handed an invite to play, which is a point of contention.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, the coach of Cash suggested this event does not deserve to be the US Open mixed doubles event, even though he admits it will be entertaining to watch.

“This exhibition event will be great fun, but it is not a Grand Slam and it shouldn’t be viewed as such,” said Fulcher, who is Cash’s coach.“It’s not just about the prize money and more about removing a mixed doubles Grand Slam opportunity.

“My own personal view, it is all just posturing at the moment and I will be fascinated to see how many of those 16 pairings that were announced a few weeks ago will turn up and play.

“I’d be very, very surprised if a lot of those pairs end up taking to the court and the only reason they would release that list is to get everyone talking about it.

“It’s almost like they have put their names down, but there is no obligation to play.

“For me, the best doubles pairing on that list they released is Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and it will be interesting to see if some doubles players who end up playing if the singles players drop out.

“I’m a fan of innovation and trying to bring new things into tennis, but I don’t agree with calling it a Grand Slam event.”

With Sinner set to play Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Masters final on Monday, there must be big doubts over the stars of men’s tennis playing in the US Open doubles event.

As of Aug. 15, the teams in the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship field via direct entry, listed by combined singles ranking, include:

Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud

Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz

Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune

Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev

Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev

Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti

In addition, the teams receiving wild cards into the field are:

Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe

Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic

Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz

Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton

Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori

READ NEXT: What needs to happen for Novak Djokovic to win a 25th Grand Slam? Legendary coach reveals

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The final Grand Slam of the 2025 tennis season, the US Open, is around the corner, and we give you all the information you need ahead of the tournament in New York.

This year’s event will be the 145th edition of the US Open while it will be the 58th time that the US Open has been staged in the Open Era.

When will the 2025 US Open take place?

This year marks the first time that the main draw of the US Open men’s and women’s singles competitions will start on a Sunday as it moves to a 15-day event, joining the Australian Open and French Open with Sunday starts.

Play will officially get underway on August 24 and it will come to a conclusion on the weekend of September 6/7 with the women’s final taking place on the Saturday, while the men’s showpiece match will be staged on the Sunday.

BUT…

There is a small matter of the new mixed doubles tournament as the revamped event will take place before the singles main draw as it will be staged on Tuesday, August 19 and Wednesday, August 20.

Some of the biggest names in tennis are set to compete as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have signed up on the men’s side while Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Emma Raducanu, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini and Naomi Osaka are set to feature from the WTA Tour.

It remains to be seen if all those big names will actually feature on August 19.

What about the venue for the hard-court Grand Slam in New York?

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City has staged the US Open since 1978 so this year will mark the 46th edition at the venue.

There are 22 outdoor courts and another 12 in the adjoining park.

Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Grandstand and Court 17 are the four showcourts at Flushing Meadows.

With a capacity of 23,771 , Arthur Ashe is the largest tennis stadium in the world and it has a retractable roof along with Louis Armstrong – which seats 14,000 spectators. The Grandstand has 8,125 seats and Court 17 has a capacity of 2,800.

Who won the 2024 titles at Flushing Meadows?

Two first-time US Open singles champions were crowned 12 months ago with Sinner defeating Taylor Fritz in the men’s final to win his second Grand Slam title, while Aryna Sabalenka became a three-time major champion when she beat Jessica Pegula.

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Who are the top seeds in 2025?

Sinner and Sabalenka are assured of being the top seeds for their title defences as they will be No 1 in the ATP and WTA Rankings before the cutoff date for the seedings. A few positions are still to be decided in the women’s draw, but the men’s top 10 have been confirmed.

Sinner is followed by Alcaraz, Zverev, Fritz, Jack Draper, Ben Shelton, Novak Djokovic, Alex de Minaur, Karen Khachanov and Lorenzo Musetti.

On the women’s side, for now Sabalenka is followed by Coco Gauff, Swiatek, Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova, Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina and Emma Navarro.

Of course, the top-32 players in the rankings will be seeded and if you are wondering about Raducanu, then she is still touch and go, but you can read more about that here.

Any big-name absentees?

World No 7 Zheng Qinwen is the biggest name to withdraw on the women’s side as she has an elbow injury while world No 12 Paula Badosa has a back injury. Former runner-up Ons Jabeur will also not play as she has called an early end to her 2025 season.

Grigor Dimitrov (No 25) is the only seeded player who won’t feature as he has a pectoral injury.

As for 24-time Grand Slam winner and four-time US Open champion Novak Djokovic, he hasn’t played any competitive matches since Wimbledon, but he is set to feature.

Which players received wildcards for Wimbledon 2025?

The legendary Venus Williams is the highest-profile player to receive a wildcard as the two-time US Open winner will play only her third tournament of the year.

When does qualifying take place?

Qualifying will get underway on August 18 and the final matches will be on Thursday, August 21 with players needing to win three matches to secure an entry into the main draw of the season-ending Grand Slam.

Speaking about the main draw…

The main draw for this year’s tournament is set for Thursday, August 21 and it usually takes place at 12:00 New York time (17:00 BST).

What is the prize money for the 2025 US Open?

The United States Tennis Association has announced a massive 20% increase in prize money from 2024 with the total set at $90 million. Sinner and Sabalenka earned $3,600,000 last year and this year’s will receive a staggering $5,000,000 each.

Full breakdown:
First round: $110,000
Second round: $154,000
Third round: $237,000
Fourth round: $400,000
Quarter-finalists: $660,000
Semi-finalists: $1,260,000
Finalists: $2,500,000
Champions: $5,000,000

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Alexander Zverev faces an uncertain few weeks after his Cincinnati Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz ended in alarming fashion.

The world No 3 battled to the end of his clash against a player sitting one place ahead of him in the ATP Rankings, but it was clear a long way from the end of the match that Zverev was in physical distress.

The German had an injury time-out during the second set and there was some surprise that he opted to carry on the match when he was clearly struggling.

This semi-final concluded with a 6-4, 6-3 win for Alcaraz, but the bigger concern must be around Zverev, who is due to play in the US Open mixed doubles event with Belinda Bencic on Tuesday.

It is hard to imagine Zverev will be back on court in New York so quickly and such was his demise in the match against Alcaraz that his participation in the singles at the US Open must also be in doubt.

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Alcaraz carried out the tradition of posting a message on the TV camera with a message wishing Zverev well and he conceded his win was a little hollow as his opponent was clearly in distress.

“It’s never easy playing against someone who is not feeling 100 per-cent,” said Alcaraz.

“Sascha is a great player and we have a really great relationship off the court, so it was difficult.

“We started the match on a good level, playing really good rallies and then my thoughts are with him. It was a really difficult situation and I wish him all the best.”

Alcaraz will now continue his rivalry with world No 1 Jannik Sinner in Monday’s final in Cincinnati, with the Spanish admitting he is relishing the challenge.

“I’m really look forward to playing against him again,” added Alcaraz. “Thanks to him, I bring my best tennis.

“We bring really beautiful tennis and I am ready for the challenge. I am trying to get better from our last match and I try to be ready.

“Mentally I am trying to be ready and I am excited for Monday.”

Alcaraz leads his head-to-head clashes with Sinner 8-5, with the Italian winning their most recent meeting in last month’s Wimbledon final.

Prior to that, Alcaraz won five straight matches against his rival, with the tennis world set to grind to a halt once again as the ‘Big 2’ meet in another final.

With Alcaraz and Sinner making it through to the Monday final in Cincinnati, there must also be big doubts over their participation in the US Open mixed doubles, which gets underway on Tuesday.

Alcaraz is due to play with Emma Raducanu in New York on Tuesday, while Sinner is paired with American Emma Navarro.

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner faces a big US Open decision after reaching Cincinnati final

The post Alexander Zverev faces US Open fitness nightmare after Carlos Alcaraz defeat appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner’s relentless winning run on hard courts has continued, as he ended the dream run of world No 136 Terence Atmane to secure his place in the Cincinnati Open final.

The world No 1 toasted his 24th birthday in style as he beat Atmane 7-6(4), 6-2 to reach his eighth ATP Masters 1000 final on a day when he was not always at his best.

Sinner appeared to be struggling with illness or an injury at times as he found a way to get past Atmane, with this latest win securing his 200th tour-level win on hard courts as he extended his unbeaten streak on the surface to 26 matches.

“It was a very, very tough challenge,” said Sinner. “Every time you play against something completely new, it’s difficult, but playing against this guy in the later stages of a tournament is even more difficult.

“The pressure is higher and you know they deserve to be there… He has beaten incredible players throughout his wins.

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“I knew that I had to be very careful, and my mindset was in a good spot. I felt like I handled the situations on the court very well.

“He was serving incredibly well in the first set. He has huge, huge potential, and I think we saw that in the tournament.”



Sinner’s latest win ensured he fended off a rising Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP Rankings and he went on to take part in a jovial post-match interview on the tennis channel, where he was given a birthday cake to toast his special day.

“I’m always here on my birthday and it is a special place,” said Sinner. “I made a good present to myself. Everything went very well today. It’s going to be very special to play in a final on Monday here.”

Atmane may have been frustrated after pressing Sinner hard in the opening set, but the Frenchman should be encouraged by the best week of his career so far.

He is on course to rise a stunning 67 places in the updated ATP Rankings to a new career high of No 69 and he will be a player to watch when he takes up his place in the main draw at the US Open later this month.

As for Sinner, he will look to defend his Cincinnati title on Monday before a rapid turnaround the next day, when he is due to be in New York for the US Open mixed doubles, where he is due to team up with America’s Emma Navarro.

It remains to be seen how realistic it is for Sinner to travel from Cincinnati to New York for what feels like an exhibition event at the US Open site on Tuesday, with the Italian set to make a call on his participation over the next couple of days.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz thrashed, Emma Raducanu shines, Iga Swiatek storms back – early US Open predictions

The post Jannik Sinner faces a big US Open decision after reaching Cincinnati final appeared first on Tennis365.

The Cincinnati Open has brought mixed fortunes for Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, but how have the WTA Rankings been affected?

With the Cincinnati semi-finals set, three women’s singles matches remain at the WTA 1000 event, with Swiatek taking on Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini facing Veronika Kudermetova.

Here, we look at who could be the big winners and losers when the WTA Rankings are updated next week.

WTA Top 10 at start of Cincinnati

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 12,010
2. Coco Gauff, United States – 7,669
3. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 6,933
4. Jessica Pegula, United States – 5,488
5. Mirra Andreeva – 4,958
6. Madison Keys, United States – 4,579
7. Zheng Qinwen, China – 4,553
8. Amanda Anisimova, United States – 3,834
9. Jasmine Paolini, Italy – 3,586
10. Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan – 3,283

Sabalenka‘s 4,341-point lead at the top of the ranking meant her world No 1 status was safe regardless of results in Cincinnati.

However, Sabalenka will drop 785 points after her quarter-final exit because she was the reigning champion.

World No 2 Gauff has cut the gap between her and the Belarusian to 3,351 points after increasing her points tally by 205 having reached the last eight.

WTA Top 10 in Live Rankings (as of August 16, 2025)

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 11,225
2. Coco Gauff, United States – 7,874
3. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 7,323/7,583/7,933
4. Jessica Pegula, United States – 4,903
5. Mirra Andreeva – 4,733
6. Madison Keys, United States – 4,689
7. Zheng Qinwen, China – 4,433
8. Amanda Anisimova, United States – 3,859
9. Jasmine Paolini, Italy – 3,856/4,116/4,466
10. Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan – 3,663

Swiatek‘s run to the semi-finals has improved her total by 390 points to 7,323, and the Polish star can replace Gauff as the world No 2 if she lifts the title.

Jessica Pegula will remain in fourth place, but she is set to drop 585 points after a third round defeat, having been a runner-up in 2024.

Mirra Andreeva is set to lose 215 points after missing the tournament through injury, but she will retain the world No 5 position.

WTA Tour News

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Madison Keys’ last 16 result increased her points total by 110, and the American will still be ranked sixth when the rankings update.

Zheng Qinwen was absent in Cincinnati as she is currently sidelined after undergoing surgery, and the Chinese star will drop 120 points. Amanda Anisimova, the world No 8, has improved her tally by 25 points after a third round loss.

Paolini remains ninth in the live rankings after making the last four, but she could climb to seventh if she wins Cincinnati. Rybakina, meanwhile, sits 10th and has the chance to jump to eighth spot by securing the title.

The Winners

Karolina Muchova is up two places to 12th after a third round result. Ekaterina Alexandrova’s last 16 run has lifted her two spots to a projected new career-high of 14th.

Kudermetova’s run to the last four has seen her surge from 36th to 26th, and it could get better if she progresses to the title match.

Emma Raducanu has moved from 39th to 35th, which has given her a chance of being seeded at the US Open.

Former world No 2 Barbora Krejcikova is +19 to 61st in the live rankings after reaching the fourth round.

Iva Jovic and Aoi Ito are both +12 to projected new career-high rankings of 76 and 82 respectively.

Varvara Gracheva’s surprise quarter-final showing has taken her from 103rd to 83rd.

The Losers

Paula Badosa is down from 12th to 16th after missing Cincinnati due to her ongoing back injury.

Leylah Fernandez has dropped from 26th to 33rd after an opening round defeat.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has suffered an 11-place slide to world No 44 after losing in the opening round.

Elina Avanesyan, who is out of action, has fallen 29 places to world No 98 after reaching the third round last year.

READ NEXT: ATP Rankings Winners & Losers Cincy: Sinner on track, Fonseca’s milestone, Atmane +67, Korda -41

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