Cincinnati Open 2026: Draw, Schedule, Results
The 2026 Cincinnati Open (ATP Masters 1000 / WTA 1000) runs August 8-23. BOTH top men's draws stars are out: Carlos Alcaraz (wrist) and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner (right knee, announced Aug 9) have withdrawn. Alexander Zverev is now the top seed. Ben Shelton (No. 8, arriving straight from his Montreal title) advanced to R3 after Carabelli retired. Sabalenka and Swiatek lead the women's field. Sources: ATP Tour, WTA, Olympics.com, atptour.com.
The context
The 2026 Cincinnati Open, a combined ATP Masters 1000 / WTA 1000 event, runs August 8-23 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. Qualifying plays out August 11-12 with the main draw starting Thursday, August 13, ahead of a final that closes out the last big hardcourt stop before the US Open.
The men’s draw was stripped of both its marquee names before a ball was struck. Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Jannik Sinner in last year’s final (Sinner retired at 5-0), withdrew from his title defence with a lingering wrist injury that had already sidelined him since April’s Barcelona Open. Then, on August 9, Jannik Sinner (world No. 1) also pulled out, citing a right knee problem: ‘My right knee has been bothering me and even though we have been working hard with my medical team, I have to accept that I’m not ready to compete yet.’ Both players are targeting the US Open (beginning August 30). The unprecedented double withdrawal reshuffled the seedings: Alexander Zverev became the top seed, followed by Félix Auger-Aliassime (No. 2), three-time champion Novak Djokovic (No. 3), and 2019 winner Daniil Medvedev (No. 4). Ben Shelton (No. 8 seed), arriving directly from defending his Montreal Masters title, advanced to the third round after his first-round opponent Camilo Ugo Carabelli retired with a knee injury while trailing 6-3, 3-1.
The women’s field stayed intact. Defending champion Iga Swiatek, who beat Jasmine Paolini in last year’s final, headlines a draw alongside world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 2023 champion Coco Gauff, with several other past winners also entered.
As the final major tune-up on the US Open Series calendar, Cincinnati results are watched closely as an early read on form heading into Flushing Meadows. The tournament traces its roots back to 1899, making it one of the oldest continuously run tennis events in the United States, and its hardcourt surface and late-summer timing have long made it a proving ground for the players expected to contend at the year’s final Grand Slam. Sources: ATP Tour, WTA, cincinnatiopen.com, Olympics.com, Washington Post, Tennis365.