Novak Djokovic has won the Cincinnati Open, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in a closely contested match that lasted nearly four hours. Djokovic avenged his Wimbledon final defeat to Alcaraz with a 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 victory. He likened the intensity of the match to his encounters with Rafael Nadal and praised Alcaraz’s maturity on the court despite being only 20 years old. While Alcaraz will retain his world number one ranking for the US Open, Djokovic has the chance to reclaim the top spot with a good performance at Flushing Meadows. This victory marks Djokovic’s 39th ATP Masters 1000 title.
Alcaraz, however has been named the top seed for the upcoming tournament, making it the third consecutive Grand Slam where he holds this position. Alcaraz is followed by Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. The top 32 players in the ATP Rankings are seeded for the tournament, with a few American men like Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe among those who have made the cut. The US Open is scheduled to begin on August 28th.
Notable mentions on the women’s side include Iga Swiatek, the defending champion and world No.1, Aryna Sabalenka, along with other top players like Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur. Guaff, who is just 19 is enjoying victory on home soil, defeating Karolina Muchova in the final of the Cincinnati Open just last week. This victory marked Gauff’s biggest career title and her third of the year, following wins in Washington DC and Auckland. Swiatek however has had a remarkable season with multiple titles, while Sabalenka seeks to challenge for the No.1 ranking.
The draw for singles will be made on August 24th, and doubles will be made on August 27th. The tournament’s qualifying matches will take place from August 22nd to 25th and the main draw from August 28th to September 10th. Doubles finals will take place on September 8th and singles on September 10th.
