ATP Tour News
WTA schedule changes may ease player workload after new comments from Bob Moran
WTA schedule relief may be coming, with mandatory 500s expected to be reduced.
The WTA Tour calendar may soon become less demanding for some of its biggest names.
Players have long raised concerns about the number of tournaments they are asked to play, especially with mandatory WTA 500 and WTA 1000 events shaping much of the schedule. That structure could be on the verge of adjustment, according to Cincinnati Open tournament director Bob Moran.
Moran, who also serves on the The WTA Tour Architecture Council, said: “When we came out with circuit structure a couple of years ago, it was trying to get players to play more 1000s and 500s.
“They have to play 1000s, but more of the 500s, and rules were put into place to do that. And one of the things was they have to play six 500s. We heard from the players that that has been difficult. I’m very confident that at the US Open, you’ll see that number come down.”
That would likely be welcomed by Coco Gauff, who said last year that the schedule had become ‘impossible’ because of the number of mandatory events on her plate.
“Obviously with the mandatory rules, I know why it’s in place with prize money and everything. Do I agree with them? I mean, I guess on a business point, it can kind of make sense. But on a player health standpoint, I don’t really agree with it,” said the American.
“I think I’ve basically played as much tennis as I possibly can, and it’s impossible to keep up with the six 500s. It’s just impossible. Especially now with more and more events being two weeks, it just doesn’t really make sense to strain your body.
“The way the season is kind of built, you have like usually, other than the grass, you have two 1000s back-to-back and then a Grand Slam, a 500 before. It doesn’t always make sense to play the 500 before knowing you’re probably going to play four weeks of tennis, then have to play a Slam, keep up with sponsor commitments, things like that.
“I definitely would like to see in my lifetime on tour a solution be made to make the season shorter. I also think it does some of the 500s a disservice. For example, I wanted to play DC this year.
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to play DC and then play two weeks in Cincinnati and Montreal. I think it does a disservice to that tournament for the scheduling.
“I definitely would love to see somehow how we can balance that out to make it a little bit easier for players in tournaments to make those decisions.
“Honestly, as a top player, you see most of the top 5, top 10 playing very limited 500s just because when you make it deep in a two-week tournament, it doesn’t make sense to play one.”
It is not yet clear how many mandatory WTA 500 events could be removed, but the change is expected to be relatively modest, likely affecting only one or two tournaments on players’ schedules.
Even so, that would still be significant for leading players who spend almost 10 straight months competing before the season ends in November.
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Zverev’s win total leads the ATP Tour, but Sinner still owns the matchup
Zverev leads 2026 ATP wins, but Sinner still controls their rivalry as Cincinnati continues.
Alexander Zverev has strengthened the case for being the clear No 2 in men’s tennis during Carlos Alcaraz’s five-month break from the sport. In that span, he has lifted his first Grand Slam trophy at Roland Garros and made his first career run to the Wimbledon final.
Still, one familiar issue has remained in place. Jannik Sinner continues to be the player Zverev cannot solve.
Zverev’s Wimbledon final defeat to Sinner marked his 10th consecutive loss to the Italian, a streak that began at the Cincinnati Open in 2024. Even so, Zverev has managed to move ahead of Sinner in one important 2026 ATP Tour measure, thanks to his results in Cincinnati.
After beating Cameron Norrie and Terence Atmane at the Masters event, Zverev became the player with the most match wins on the ATP Tour this season.
ATP Tour match victories in 2026
Alexander Zverev – 46
Jannik Sinner – 44
Rafael Jodar – 36
Tommy Paul – 34
Ben Shelton -33
That places Zverev ahead of Sinner, who has produced 44 wins in nine tournaments this year, along with Rafael Jodar, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton. It is also important to note that Zverev has played far more matches than Sinner in 2026. Zverev has contested 58 ATP Tour matches, while Sinner has played 47, giving the German more opportunities to collect victories.
Even with that difference, Zverev’s 75% winning rate this season supports his world No 2 ranking. With 17 seeded players already out of the Cincinnati Open, he enters the event as the leading contender for his first Masters title of the season.
His record against Sinner at Masters level this year remains a concern, however, with losses coming at Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Madrid Open and the Monte Carlo Masters. The absence of the world No 1 in Cincinnati gives him a different outlook, but a tough next assignment still awaits.
Zverev will face Tommy Paul for a place in the quarter finals. He has lost two of their three meetings, at the Mexican Open in 2020 and Indian Wells in 2022, while his only win over the American came at the Australian Open in 2025, when he prevailed in four sets on the way to the final. The pair are scheduled to meet in the fourth round on Wednesday, 19th August, with the order of play still to be confirmed by the Cincinnati Open.
ATP Tour News
Djokovic’s Cincinnati setback leaves questions before US Open
Djokovic’s Cincinnati defeat raised concern after breathing issues in heat and humidity.
Novak Djokovic’s loss in Cincinnati has prompted fresh concern about his condition with the 2026 US Open approaching, according to a former WTA Tour player.
The world No. 5 was beaten 6-2, 4-6, 4-6 by 50th-ranked Tirante in the second round of the Masters 1000 event on Saturday. It was Djokovic’s first match since his straight-set defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
Djokovic began strongly, taking the opening set against the 25-year-old Argentine, but the match turned into a physical battle in punishing afternoon heat and humidity. For long stretches, the 39-year-old Serbian appeared to struggle with the conditions.
Camille Pin, the retired French player who now works as a commentator, said Djokovic’s difficulties were more troubling than the result itself while speaking on Eurosport France.
“What’s rather odd is that it didn’t happen in a third set after 2 hours and 40 minutes of play,” said Pin, who played between 1999 and 2010.
“From the very beginning of the match, Novak was struggling to breathe, and that’s a pretty bad sign.
“So that’s what’s worrying, more so than the loss to Tirante, who just reached the round of 16 in Montreal by beating [Taylor] Fritz.
“Why did he feel so much discomfort in the humidity, when he’s won this tournament three times?
“Of course, he’s not the same age, but he’s still incredibly fit. He’ll have to check with his team before the US Open.”
After the match, Djokovic said he has been managing a health problem that creates “a lot of issues” in difficult weather.
“It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years. A lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion explained.
“I did anticipate it, but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”
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US Open withdrawals widen as North American swing intensifies
Withdrawals mount before the US Open as injuries affect several top ATP and WTA names.
As the ATP and WTA Tours continue their North American hardcourt buildup, attention is shifting toward the season’s final Grand Slam at the US Open. The Cincinnati Open is in progress, and many of the leading names in both draws are trying to find the right level before Flushing Meadows.
Even so, the entry lists are already taking shape without several notable players. Nine players have withdrawn from the tournament so far, with eight of those absences coming from the WTA Tour.
Emma Raducanu, Hailey Baptiste and Victoria Mboko are among the most prominent players not set to appear in New York. Mboko and Baptiste both dealt with serious knee injuries earlier in the year, so their absence was expected. Raducanu, however, has also been ruled out through injury. Her stress fracture, which sidelined her at Wimbledon, is serious enough to keep her out of the entire North American hardcourt swing.
She is joined on the list by Ajla Tomljanovic, Varvara Gracheva, Irina-Camelia Begu, Jacqueline Cristian and Laura Siegemund.
WTA Tour star’s who have withdrawn from the US Open
Victoria Mboko (world No 12) > replaced by Mananchaya Sawangkaew
Hailey Baptiste (world No 32) > replaced by Kaitlin Quevedo
Emma Raducanu (world No 49) > replaced by Anna Blinkova
Ajla Tomljanovic (world No 95) > replaced by Ella Seidel
Varvara Gracheva (world No 102) > replaced by Anastasia Zakharova
Irina-Camelia Begu (world No 472) > replaced by Elsa Jacquemot
Jaqueline Cristian (world No 41) > replaced by Darja Vidmanova
Laura Siegemund (world No 89) > replaced by Nadia Podoroska
On the ATP side, only Sebastian Korda has officially withdrawn. The American has not played since the Miami Open and confirmed at the start of August that he had undergone back surgery.
“It’s been 4 months off-court managing pain in my back with a lot of pressure on my sciatica. After different treatments we decided to have a swift surgery that has finally relieved the pain. What a relief,” said Korda in a social media post.
“Massive thank you to Dr. Qureshi and his team. Now it is time to recover, heal and get back to work. Thanks everyone for the support. See ya’ll soon!”
ATP Tour star’s who have withdrawn from the US Open
Sebastian Korda (world No 50) > replaced by Aleksandar Vukic
Korda is the only confirmed men’s withdrawal for now, but uncertainty remains around several others. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are still considered doubts, with Alcaraz racing to recover from a wrist injury that has kept him out for five months. Sinner is managing a knee injury and has not played any North American events leading into the Slam.
Holger Rune could also miss the event as he works his way back from an ACL injury suffered at the Stockholm Open in October last year. He has not withdrawn, though. “I see conclusions on me withdrawing from US Open,” he wrote recently on social media. “I did not withdraw. I am working super hard everyday and as soon as I am ready, I am ready. I hope it will be US Open.”
Rune and Alcaraz have been training together in Murcia ahead of the tournament, leaving open the possibility that both could still compete.
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WTA schedule changes may ease player workload after new comments from Bob Moran
Alcaraz Confronts On‑court Microphones During US Open Practice Ahead of Opelka Match
Raducanu Arrives at US Open With Momentum After Strong Hard‑Court Swing
