Carlos Alcaraz returned to competition in Cincinnati and endured a bumpy path to the third round, edging Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in the second round. It was his first match since Wimbledon and his second meeting with Dzumhur this year at the Cincinnati Open.

Alcaraz opened strongly, taking the first set in under 30 minutes as Dzumhur managed just one winner and committed 13 unforced errors in seven games. The quick start gave Alcaraz an early foothold on the scoreboard after a break from tour competition.

The momentum shifted in the second set, when Alcaraz produced a subdued performance and 15 mistakes from the Spaniard’s racquet helped pull the 33-year-old Dzumhur level. The swing mirrored an earlier encounter in the spring at Roland Garros, where Alcaraz also had to regroup after a mid-match lapse before closing out the win.

Alcaraz had acknowledged the emotional aftermath of Wimbledon in his pre-tournament press conference, saying it took “hours, not days” to recover from the disappointment of losing the final to Jannik Sinner. That context framed his opening match in Cincinnati and the uneven patches that followed.

The deciding set was contested and never entirely routine. Alcaraz led throughout the final frame but still labored toward the finish line, ultimately completing the 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory and advancing in the tournament.

The match underlined familiar themes: a fast, efficient opening set; a sudden dip in form; and a recovery that, while imperfect, was sufficient to move forward. © 2025 Getty Images

Coco Gauff recorded a straight-sets win to reach the third round of the Cincinnati Open and moved to a notable WTA 1000 landmark. The world No 2 and second seed defeated world No 37 Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-2 in 70 minutes, her first match victory at the tournament since lifting the title in 2023.

The American’s return to form followed a difficult defence last year, when she lost her opening match to Yulia Putintseva. Against Wang, who had beaten her in Berlin less than two months earlier, Gauff produced a more controlled performance.

“It feels great to be back in Cincinnati,” said Gauff, on court. “Obviously, two years ago I won, and it set me up for a great two weeks in New York [winning the US Open], so it means a lot to me, this tournament. “I was very happy to see the sites and the improvements, and we’re back here in Cincy.”

Gauff arrived in Cincinnati after a surprise loss to eventual champion Victoria Mboko in the fourth round of the Canadian Open, a tournament in which her double fault problem reappeared. That issue threatened again on Sunday when she served eight double faults in her opening three service games. She did not serve another double fault for the rest of the match and credited a shift in mindset.

“I think [I was] just trusting myself and trusting the work we put in in practice. “In the second set, I was able to let go, and I think just try not to focus on the past, knowing that I can’t control it, and just trying to do better for the future. “I’m happy I was able to change that mindset around.”

With a first-round bye, the win was Gauff’s 36th opening-match victory at WTA 1000 events, improving an overall 36-8 record in such matches. Since the WTA 1000/Tier 1 format began in 1990, only Martina Hingis had more opening wins before her 22nd birthday, with 46. Gauff still has five more WTA 1000 opportunities before she turns 22 on March 13th next year.

Her next opponent in Cincinnati is 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska, who stunned Gauff in straight sets in the opening round of Wimbledon just over a month ago and who pushed her at the Madrid Open.

Holger Rune used his postmatch stage in Cincinnati to call attention to a growing problem on social media: convincing deepfake screenshots and parody accounts that present themselves as official posts or messages. The Dane, fresh off an opening-round win over Roman Safiullin, had earlier taken to X to urge fans to act.

“Please do report accounts faking like this,” Rune wrote to fans at the time. At the Cincinnati Open on Saturday he expanded on why the matter had bothered him.

“I like jokes, I like fun, all of this,” he clarified, “but sometimes it gets a bit too real in a way—even though it’s fake. That’s when I don’t think it’s necessary. Obviously, it’s tough to control the whole internet!”

Rune’s concern focused on posts that mimic the look and tone of a serious news item, often including a quote attributed to a player and an accompanying image but without a link to an original source or any obvious indication that the content is satirical. He singled out deepfake screenshots masquerading as official Instagram stories and direct messages from his mother, Aneke, calling them “fake info” when he addressed the issue on X late last month.

“I think some posts where it looks too real even though it’s super fake, those are not nice,” said Rune. “It’s a little bit provocative, as well, but I suppose everyone can do what they want.”

Off the court, Rune has also been talking about his work with Andre Agassi. The player welcomed the former world No. 1’s guidance after training with him ahead of the US Open swing at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in July.

“We’ve been in touch,” Rune confirmed in Cincy. “We spoke after Toronto and he also messaged me today. It’s nice! We speak a little bit; he shares his view, I share my view. It’s nice to have someone to speak tennis with who is as into it as I am. I’ve been getting some really good feedback, which is always great.”

Rune will next face No. 28 seed Alex Michelsen in the third round of the Cincinnati Open on Monday.