Jannik Sinner enters the Cincinnati Open preparing to defend the title he won last year, marking his first tournament appearance since a commanding Wimbledon victory over rival Carlos Alcaraz. Having skipped the recent Toronto ATP 1000 event along with Alcaraz, Sinner arrived early in Cincinnati to acclimatize, seen practicing and adjusting his racket grips, signaling his readiness for the hard-court season ahead.

Sinner’s journey over the past year has been notable, capturing three Grand Slam titles, securing the world No. 1 ranking, and serving a three-month suspension related to a positive doping test. As he aims to retain significant ranking points across key tournaments—including Cincinnati, the US Open, the Shanghai Masters, and the ATP Finals—his current lead of 3,430 points over Alcaraz will be tested.

Alcaraz, with fewer ranking points to defend after an uneven 2024, remains the primary challenger to Sinner’s dominance. The Italian’s ability to maintain form and avoid injury will be critical in a season that promises a fiercely competitive battle at the top of men’s tennis. With his sights set firmly on sustaining his ranking throughout the demanding North American hard-court swing, Sinner’s performance in Cincinnati could be a decisive indicator for the remainder of 2025.

Alexander Zverev, currently the world No. 3 and top seed at the 2025 Canadian Open, shared insights into the players he finds most difficult on court and some of his toughest career moments on the Nothing Major podcast. The German, chasing his second title of the year after winning the ATP 500 in Munich, named Daniil Medvedev as the “most annoying” opponent. Zverev noted, “I mean, lost to him like 78 times, to be honest (laughs).” Despite his higher ranking, Zverev has struggled against Medvedev, holding a 7-13 record and having lost 12 of their last 14 encounters. Reflecting on Medvedev’s gameplay, Zverev added, “He turns into prime Novak Djokovic every time he plays against me and I’m like… ‘I don’t even play that bad. Why am I losing?’”

Ahead of his fourth round match at the Canadian Open, Zverev also discussed Francisco Cerundolo, a player who has troubled him particularly on clay. Zverev admitted, “I have four losses in Madrid in my entire career and two of them came against him. And both straight sets. I just felt like a complete fool, I had no idea what I was doing.” Against Cerundolo, Zverev was 0-3 before their match and had won just one set across those matches.

Zverev also recounted what he considers one of the worst matches he’s ever played, against Daniel Altmaier in Acapulco last year. He described it in candid terms: “Your serve’s not working, your forehand’s terrible — well, my forehand is always terrible — but, my forehand was terrible. My backhand, I played like Steve Johnson with two hands. I couldn’t volley, I just couldn’t do anything. It was such a horrific match.” Regarding his struggles earlier this year, Zverev mentioned a period where his second serve was particularly problematic, leading to numerous double faults per match.

As Zverev competes in the Canadian Open, his reflections offer a telling look at the challenges top players face, both from opponents and in managing their own game under pressure.

Top seed Alexander Zverev progressed to the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open in Toronto after his opponent, 14th seed Francisco Cerundolo, retired due to an abdominal injury. Zverev was leading 6-4, 1-0 when the Argentine player withdrew from the match on Saturday night.

Zverev, the 2017 champion now ranked third in the world, will face the defending champion Alexei Popyrin in the next round. Popyrin, seeded 18th, secured his place by defeating fifth seed Holger Rune 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an evening match.

This year’s National Bank Open has seen several top players absent. Jannik Sinner, the 2023 winner and world number one, alongside second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, opted out of the hard-court event. Notably, also absent were Jack Draper and Novak Djokovic, seeded fifth and sixth respectively.

Earlier this year, Zverev won his 24th tour title on clay in Munich, which stands as a notable highlight of his season so far.