Frances Tiafoe’s withdrawal from his Cincinnati Masters match with Holger Rune after suffering a lower-back problem has put a significant chunk of his ranking at immediate risk. The American conceded the match after trying to continue while clearly in discomfort, an exit that comes at the worst possible time in the ATP calendar.

Tiafoe is defending 1,450 points from the same period last year, having lost the Cincinnati final to Jannik Sinner and then reaching the US Open semi-finals a few weeks later. With a current total of 2,890 points, the loss of Cincinnati points will reduce his cushion; he has already fallen from No 14 to No 17 in the live ATP Rankings and could drop outside the top 30 if he is not fit for the US Open.

The issue appeared to be in his lower back. While he attempted to press on against Rune, the discomfort became decisive and he conceded. His coaching team appeared to suggest he should try to ‘tough it out’ when he asked for their advice over whether to continue. He also received a code violation as frustrations boiled over during the match.

Rune, who produced a composed performance before the match ended, described the turning point succinctly. “From 4-4, when I got the break and at 5-4 when he had the medical timeout, that’s when I felt something was not right with him,” said Rune. “I could see he was struggling a little bit. As the game is, I tried to move him as much as possible. It’s never nice to finish a match like this and I wish him the best recovery.”

The Dane underlined his own level in the contest. “I had again a little bit of a slow start, but after that I came back quickly, I rise my intensity a lot and I think my timing on the ball was good,” said the Dane. “I was moving the ball well around. I think in the middle of the first set I started to play very well, actually.

“I also, in the break point, going after my shots and stuff. So we had another good practice like yesterday, fine-tuning a few things. Never nice to finish that way, but just on myself, I’m happy with the level.”

Tiafoe now faces a race against time to recover and defend the points that underpin his ranking ahead of the US Open.

Carlos Alcaraz has moved rapidly into the sport’s highest earners and now stands on the verge of another financial milestone. The Spaniard, with 21 ATP Tour titles and five Grand Slam wins at age 22, took his career prize money to $47,362,248 following Wimbledon.

Those earnings will rise further after the Cincinnati Masters, and a deep run at the US Open would push the total still higher. The US Open’s 2025 prize pool has been set at $90m, up 20% from $75m in 2024, and the champion is due to receive $5m. Men’s and women’s singles runner-up prize money has increased by 39%, with beaten finalists set to receive $2.5m.

Alcaraz has repeatedly insisted that money is not his primary motivation. “I love playing tennis. You know, most of the time I don’t think about the money,” he said. “I just play for love or for fun. But you have to be realistic. You have to think that you want to earn money, you know, and that’s it.”

He also reflected on one high-paying exhibition appearance. “The money in Saudi Arabia is the most, highest prize money ever in history, so that was a good motivation, at least for me.” That appearance was at last year’s Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia.

Alcaraz’s on-court earnings are complemented by a long-standing roster of sponsors: Nike, Rolex, BMW, Babolat, Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton. He was recently unveiled as an Evian ambassador, joining Britain’s Emma Raducanu among their collection of athletes.

Among Alcaraz’s contemporaries, Jannik Sinner and others have also accumulated substantial prize money. Sinner collected $4,881,500 when he won the 2024 ATP Finals, the largest single prize paid so far. Career prize money standings cited include: 1. Novak Djokovic, $188,934,053 2. Rafael Nadal $134,946,100 3. Roger Federer $130,594 4. Andy Murray $64,687,542 5. Alexander Zverev $54,106,074 6. Carlos Alcaraz $47,362,248 7. Daniil Medvedev $46,901,049 8. Jannik Sinner $45,682,097 9. Pete Sampras $43,280,489 10. Stan Wawrinka $37,634,708.

If Alcaraz continues to win at current rates, the next few seasons will determine how quickly he crosses the $50m mark.

Jack Draper has confirmed he will be fit to compete at the US Open after a spell on the sidelines with an arm injury. He has not hit a ball since his second-round defeat at Wimbledon against Marin Cilic more than a month ago, and his absence from Toronto and Cincinnati Masters hampered his preparations ahead of the final Grand Slam of 2025. Draper told the LTA that his injury issues are behind him and that he is preparing to fly to America to compete in New York.

“I found out I had an injury in my arm, which I had been playing with for a little while,” Draper said.

“The doctors and my team advised me that I’d need to take some time out. I had a few days off, so I chilled and took my mind off tennis. Then I was really motivated to come back and do a really good fitness block and work myself hard physically to make some good gains.

“I got back to my tennis slowly to protect my arm, but it’s been a really productive few weeks now. It was disappointing to miss Toronto and Cincinnati, but I think it’s been a good period for me to reflect on things and improve.

“I’m really looking forward to going out to the US Open, and I’m in a great place personally and tennis-wise. I feel refreshed, motivated, and I can’t wait to get back out there.”

The British No 1 will arrive in New York defending significant ranking points after his breakthrough run to the semi-finals at the US Open last year. His victory at the Indian Wells Masters in March remains the clearest recent evidence of his comfort on fast hard courts, and if his arm is fully recovered he will be a threat once more at the season’s final major.

“Last year’s US Open was amazing – I reflect on it with really positive memories. It gave me so much confidence and set me up for what was to come for the rest of the year and also the start of this year,” he added.

“Pushing through five best-of-five set matches, against the best players in the world on the biggest stages – that just gives me so much belief. It was a big moment for me and probably one of the biggest in my career so far.

“For me, the atmosphere is the best at the US Open. I love the crowd dynamic, the rowdiness, and I just really enjoy the surroundings and what it brings. It’s a lively, energetic crowd, and that gets the best out of me for sure.”