ATP Cincinnati started two days ago, and although we haven’t seen much action yet, we already know who the top favorites are for winning the Southern and Western Open.
For the moment, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz rule the tennis world, and there aren’t too many guys ready to stand up to them. That is, there are none right now.
All the top seeds have been granted a bye into the second round, meaning they haven’t played their first matches in Ohio. That’s why we decided to make a short preview of this Masters 1000 tournament.
Is There Anyone to Stop Sinner and Alcaraz?
These two players are one level above all others, including Novak, who is trying to catch up to them. Still, there’s a question: will there be someone able to upset these guys?
To be perfectly honest, there isn’t a player on tour who has the capability of taking his game to the needed level to defeat either Carlitos or Sinner, and if there is one upset at all, that’ll be due to their bad day.
Ben Shelton is up to #4 in the race to the ATP Finals:
1. Carlos Alcaraz – 7550 points.
2. Jannik Sinner – 6010 points.
3. Alexander Zverev – 3690 points.
𝟒. 𝐁𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 – 𝟑𝟒𝟐𝟎 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬.
5. Novak Djokovic – 3380 points.
6. Taylor Fritz – 2975 points.… pic.twitter.com/dzfy8cwgxL
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 8, 2025
As we saw, players like Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Zverev, and others are simply limited in growing their game, while on the other side, Rune, Shelton, and Fritz are one-dimensional.
Shelton did win Toronto, and that’s a huge boost. With the surface being pretty much the same here, we’ll see if he’s able to use the momentum and keep on pushing forward.
US Open Preparations
Cincinnati is one of the most important stops before the US Open, and it can be a significant indicator of the players’ form. Additionally, it could play a significant psychological role, as a win in head-to-head clashes or a title here could lead to a substantial power shift.
The entire American tour consists of a series of tournaments on the same surface, culminating in the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows. That’s why we say this is a sort of preparation for the ultimate Grand Slam of the year.
Djokovic Out
Novak was listed to play in Cincinnati, but he withdrew. It seems that the Serb has more urgent matters at the moment, as he has decided to leave his home country, Serbia, and move to live in Greece. The political situation in Serbia is very tense, as the current government appears to have pressured Djokovic for supporting protesters against the ruling party. According to local media outlets, this is one of the reasons he decided to move to Athens and host his ATP tournament there as well.
This could have a major impact on his future, because Novak doesn’t have too much time to lose now, and yet he has to focus on things other than sport. Combined with his age, this could be the end of GOAT’s career.
Cincinnati Favorites
As stated earlier, Sinner and Carlitos are top favorites, and there’s no doubt about that. Simply, they are playing fantastic tennis at the moment, and their health is, fortunately, well. Both are looking fresh, although we have to add that Alcaraz had more action this year, because of Sinner’s doping ban, which lasted for three months at the start of the season.
As previously mentioned, Ben Shelton could capitalize on the momentum. Strong servers are always favored in Cincinnati, and Shelton is one such. Taylor Fritz is in the mix as well, because he stabilized his game and is always in the top 8 of any tournament. Perhaps it’s time for the American to step up.
Guys like Zverev and Medvedev are always in the mix, but to be honest, we don’t see them doing anything noticeable in the moment, due to their stagnation and overall limited talent.
Here are all the odds for the Cincinnati Masters.
