Carlos Alcaraz suffered a frustrating loss to Gael Monfils at the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open, marked by a violent racquet smash. Despite being ranked third in the world, Alcaraz struggled against the experienced French player, committing 40 unforced errors in the match. With only one second-round summer cement match under his belt, Alcaraz heads to the US Open without a hardcourt win. The match was halted by rain during the tie-breaker but Monfils ultimately came out victorious, with 15 aces contributing to his win.
World number one Jannik Sinner celebrated his 23rd birthday with a walkover into the quarters at the Cincinnati Open when Australian opponent Jordan Thompson withdrew due to a rib injury. Sinner will face a rematch of last week’s quarter-final in Canada against Andrey Rublev, who defeated Brandon Nakashima in a rain-delayed match. Alexander Zverev also advanced into the last eight with a victory over Pablo Carreno Busta, while Casper Ruud suffered another defeat, this time at the hands of Felix Auger-Aliassime, who sent down 14 aces in the match.
On the women’s side, top seed Iga Swiatek cruised into the quarter-finals with a straight-sets victory over Marta Kostyuk. Swiatek, who had previously defeated Kostyuk at Indian Wells, showed her dominance with a 6-2, 6-2 win. Despite not having a pre-match practice due to rain, Swiatek played efficiently and secured her 29th season victory at the Masters level. Jessica Pegula also advanced with a win over Karolina Muchova in a delayed second-round match, while Caroline Wozniacki, in her WTA comeback effort, fell to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen defeated Poland’s Magdalena Frech to progress in the tournament.
Overall, the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open saw exciting matches and surprising upsets, with top players facing challenges from their opponents. The tournament provided a platform for both experienced players like Monfils and rising stars like Alcaraz to showcase their skills and compete at a high level. The women’s competition also saw Swiatek and other top seeds asserting their dominance on the court, while newcomers like Pegula and Zheng impressed with their performances. As the tournament progresses, fans can look forward to more thrilling matches and fierce competition from the world’s best tennis players.
