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

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.

Jannik Sinner arrived in Cincinnati as the reigning champion and delivered a striking opening statement. A 59-minute victory over Daniel Elahi Galan on Saturday became the quickest ATP Tour match win of the world No 1’s career to date, a result that immediately reinforced his status among the tournament favourites. Having beaten Frances Tiafoe in the final last summer, Sinner arrives with genuine momentum and the concrete possibility of back-to-back titles.

Defending a Cincinnati crown, however, is a rare achievement. Only four men in the Open Era have successfully done it, and Sinner will know the scale of the challenge he faces if he hopes to join that group.

Wilander was the first to complete a defence. A winner of four Cincinnati Open titles, the Swede first triumphed in 1983 by beating 1981 champion John McEnroe in the final, then downed Anders Jarryd in 1984. Wilander was denied a three-peat in 1985 when he fell to Boris Becker in the final, though he returned to claim further titles in 1986 and 1988.

Chang became the second man to defend the title exactly a decade after Wilander. He battled past Stefan Edberg in three sets to lift his first Cincinnati title in 1993 and then beat Edberg in straight sets to retain the crown in 1994. Chang reached further finals in 1995 and 1996 but finished runner-up on both occasions.

Agassi joined this exclusive group with consecutive victories over Chang. The top seed beat fourth seed Chang to lift his first Cincinnati title in 1995 and then again in 1996, with both wins coming in straight sets. He added a third Cincinnati title eight years later in 2004, leaving him with a perfect 3-0 record in finals at the Masters 1000 event.

Federer sits alone at the summit of Cincinnati history. He won a record seven men’s singles titles at the tournament and is the only man to defend the trophy on two separate occasions, first across 2009-10 and again in 2014-15. Federer also triumphed in 2005, 2007 and 2012, and finished as runner-up in 2018.

Sinner’s early win answered questions about form. The next week will determine whether he can add his name to this short list.