Main draw play at the 2026 Cincinnati Open opened on Thursday, and the withdrawal count across the event has now reached 17.

The ATP-WTA 1000 tournament is being held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. This edition also carries added significance, with the men’s event staging its 125th tournament and the women’s draw reaching its 98th edition.

Before Thursday’s play began, 15 players had already withdrawn across the combined fields. Two more ATP players then joined that list ahead of their opening matches: Corentin Moutet and Tallon Griekspoor.

Moutet had been scheduled to meet Hubert Hurkacz, but Sho Shimabukuro took his place. Griekspoor was due to play Botic van de Zandschulp, with Alexander Shevchenko stepping in.

The ATP withdrawal list includes several notable names. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the top two players on the ATP Tour, were among the eight men who pulled out before the draw. Sinner, the world No 1, was replaced by Stefanos Tsitsipas, while world No 2 Alcaraz was replaced by Mattia Bellucci.

Also withdrawn on the ATP side were Alexander Bublik, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Jaume Munar, Sebastian Korda, Ethan Quinn and Holger Rune. Their replacements were Marton Fucsovics, Adam Walton, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Valentin Royer, Lorenzo Sonego and Daniel Merida.

The WTA list also grew before the draw, with six women already out, including Karolina Muchova, Victoria Mboko, Jasmine Paolini and Emma Raducanu. Naomi Osaka withdrew the day before the tournament began because of fatigue.

Among the women’s replacements were Simona Waltert, Tamara Korpatsch, Eva Lys, Taylor Townsend, Tatjana Maria, Maria Timofeeva and Maya Joint.

The WTA’s new eligibility policy has drawn little public resistance from players so far, with Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula both saying they understand why the tour is moving ahead with genetic sex testing.

The announcement came before the North American hard-court swing and confirmed that all players will be required to undergo a one-time genetic sex test in future. The WTA said the measure is intended to stop transgender women from competing on the tour and to protect competitive balance in women’s tennis.

In its statement, the organisation said: “The WTA’s Women’s Eligibility policy is designed to promote equal athletic opportunities in women’s professional tennis and maintain fair competition for all players participating in WTA tournaments.”

The decision was welcomed by Martina Navratilova, who has long been critical of transgender women competing in women’s sport. At the same time, the policy has intensified criticism directed at the transgender community.

Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam winner, said she supports the idea of fairness in sport, while stressing that she does not approve of the hostility the issue has generated. “I mean, as far as, I guess, with that, I know it’s been something that’s been talked about for a while. But I’ve talked to a couple other players, and a lot of them didn’t find out until the press release. So I do think that’s something that could have been more transparent amongst like players along across the tour,” the world No 4 said.

“As far as that, I mean, I understand the reasoning behind it. I do think that this kind of conversation has created a lot of animosity towards the trans community, which I’m not really a big fan of, but I also understand the need to, I guess, the biological difference and the need to protect that and preserve that.

“So I think it’s a conversation that is very nuanced. And it creates, causes, or I need to have a nuanced answer. So, yes, I guess I kind of agree with trying to protect the fairness in women’s sports.

“But I also do not like the attack that it is creating. People who don’t really care, but just want to use this as a reason to attack the trans community. So I’m not really a big fan of that either.

“So I don’t really know how to answer really this question in a way that people aren’t going to spin it.

“But as far as where I stand, I definitely support the trans community, but I also support the need of creating fairness in sport too.”

Pegula, who sits on the player council, said the policy has not triggered much internal pushback and that players have already been briefed on it. “My opinion is I think the WTA just wanted to update their policy based on what they have seen from other sporting organisations,” she explained.

“So far, at least from my point of view, I don’t really have any pushback on it. I think I haven’t heard, even being on council, no players have really mentioned or said anything about it.

“Now that it’s been announced, I think we’ll see. Obviously now that we are here in Toronto, a bigger tournament, and going into Cincy when the testing starts, we’ll see if there’s any more feedback.

“I think so far no one’s really said anything, and I think it’s more just the tour making a decision updating it, and it kind of is what it is.”

Asked if the testing will begin at the Cincinnati Open, she replied: “I think so.

“Is it Cincy? Yeah, I think it’s Cincinnati is when it starts.”

She added: “Yeah, like we had a whole, we had to watch a video and do a whole thing to kind of, like a rollout of the education and why we’re doing it.

“It wasn’t just kind of laid on us, like, you have to do this. There was a lot of education and stuff in the background of all the stuff the players have had to do to learn about it.”

The Six Kings Slam will return for a third straight year in Saudi Arabia, with the full six-player field now confirmed.

Held in Saudi Arabia since 2024, the exhibition has already produced two titles for Jannik Sinner, who is set to defend his crown this year. He will be joined by Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev, and Alex de Minaur in the 2026 edition.

The tournament is scheduled for October 21 to 24, placing it in the middle of the ATP Tour’s European indoor swing. The players will compete for a $6 million prize pool over those four days.

The event overlaps with tournaments in Lyon, Almaty, and Brussels, though all three are ATP 250 events and would be unlikely to attract the game’s leading names. Even so, the Six Kings Slam has again assembled a line-up that features several of the sport’s biggest drawcards.

Alcaraz, who has not played since the Barcelona Open in April, has so far confirmed only two events after the US Open, with the Laver Cup also on his schedule. His inclusion in the Saudi event therefore stands out as one of the more notable entries on the autumn calendar.

Alcaraz said: “I’m excited to return to Riyadh for another Six Kings Slam. The atmosphere is always incredible, and it’s a privilege to be part of such a unique event alongside some of the best players in the world.”

Sinner also welcomed his return, saying: “I’m happy to be back in Riyadh to defend my Six Kings Slam title once again. It’s a great event with an amazing atmosphere, and I can’t wait to compete this October.”

Djokovic, who has played every edition so far without reaching the final, added: “Riyadh has always given me a fantastic welcome, and it’s great to be back once again,” said the 24-time Grand Slam champion. “Six Kings Slam has become a special event on the tennis calendar, and I’m looking forward to competing in front of the fans this October.”