Alexander Zverev opened his Cincinnati campaign with a composed 6-3, 6-3 victory over 109th-ranked American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy in Mason, Ohio. The world No 3 arrived on a short turnaround after reaching the last four at the Canadian Open in Toronto; that event concluded on the same day Cincinnati began.

Zverev is hunting a second title at the Masters tournament in Cincinnati after his 2021 triumph. He arrives having reached the semi-finals in both 2023 and 2024. The hard courts at the Lindner Family Tennis Center have long been measured as some of the fastest on the ATP Tour, but Zverev says that has changed.

“Cincinnati was a very fast tournament in the past, but it’s become extremely slow now,” he said in a press conference at this year’s event. “I’m not sure what the reason behind this choice is, especially since in New York the courts will be very fast again.

“I’m not a huge fan of this surface. I just hope to play good tennis and get as far as possible.”

Those comments followed a line of thought the German expressed during the 2024 Cincinnati Masters about equipment and court speed. “Yeah, I mean I’m playing [with] an old school racket still, I’m playing [with] quite a heavy tennis racket still,” he told Tennis Channel.

“I mean, some of the young guys don’t do that anymore so they swing a lot faster than me. But when the ball comes with pace, I think a heavier racket helps you, so that’s maybe part of the reason. Some obviously racket things there.

“I mean look, I’m still from the generation from ten years ago, or from five, six years ago, when we had some very fast hard courts, especially when Roger was still around.

“And obviously, tournaments liked him to go deep, so they were making some very, very fast courts.

“So I’m used to it a little bit maybe more than some of the younger generation, but I mean, still some adjustments to be made.”

For now the focus is straightforward: adapt to the surface and advance. Zverev’s opening win moves him into the next round as he tests whether a slower Cincinnati court will suit his game in pursuit of another deep run.

Jannik Sinner’s hold at the top of the ATP Rankings has been underlined not only by Grand Slam trophies but also by an unusually consistent record against lower-ranked opposition. The 23-year-old has spent 61 straight weeks as world No 1 since first reaching the top in June 2024 and has won four Grand Slam titles in the past two seasons.

Despite a three-month doping suspension this spring, Sinner captured Grand Slam crowns in Melbourne and London in 2025 and narrowly missed at Roland Garros, where he was one point from victory in the final. His lead in the rankings stands at 3,440 points over world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz.

A defining thread runs from Sinner’s breakthrough Masters 1000 title at the 2023 Canadian Open through to his recent form. After that Toronto triumph he was upset in Cincinnati by world No 66 Dusan Lajovic. Since that loss, Sinner has collected 12 ATP Tour titles, including four Slams, the 2024 ATP Finals and three more Masters 1000 crowns, among them last year’s Cincinnati Open.

From the 2023 Canadian Open onward he has played 75 matches versus players ranked outside the top 20 and suffered only two defeats: to Lajovic in Cincinnati and to Alexander Bublik at the Halle Open in June. That 73-2 ledger is a 97.33% win rate against opponents ranked 21st or lower.

At Grand Slams the last defeat to a player outside the top 20 came against world No 79 Daniel Altmaier in the second round of the 2023 French Open. Since then Sinner is 51-5 at majors. Across all ATP events he had a 66-match streak of wins against players outside the top 20 before the loss to Bublik, and he has followed that with five wins from five against such opponents, including a very quick win over Daniel Elahi Galan in Cincinnati round two.

Sinner enters his Cincinnati Open round-three match with Gabriel Diallo on Monday night holding an overall 84.06% record (211-40) versus players outside the top 20. Comparisons with contemporaries show narrow gaps: Alcaraz sits on 86.83% across his career, while Sinner’s last 75 matches yield a 73-2 record that stands out for its near immunity to upsets.

The 2025 Canadian Open saw an unusual absence of top players, a pattern the tournament director says should change in 2026. World No 1 Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were among several high-profile players who did not feature, joined by Novak Djokovic and world No 5 Jack Draper, as many opted for an extended break after Wimbledon.

Reigning world No 3 Alexander Zverev became the top seed for the event, with Taylor Fritz seeded No 2 and Lorenzo Musetti No 3. In that depleted field, fourth seed Ben Shelton won the title, defeating Karen Khachanov in the final to capture his maiden Masters 1000 trophy.

The Canadian Open has now suffered heavy withdrawals for two years running. In 2024, Alcaraz, Djokovic and other leading players missed the event because of the Paris Olympics. Tournament Director Karl Hale said organisers are actively seeking a different outcome for 2026.

“Losing the top players is not something we desire,” he said on the Nothing Major Podcast with John Isner. “I believe Carlos and Jannik should consider our circuit, the ATP, and commit to playing.

“We are in talks with them to ensure they participate next year. In 2026, there will be three weeks between Wimbledon and Montreal. This year there were only two. That’s a significant change.”

Player workload and the length of the season were cited repeatedly as reasons for withdrawals. After his second-round win at the Cincinnati Open, Alcaraz addressed the issue directly.

“I love having time for me if I have to be honest. I always say that’s what you are working for as well, you know?” he said on the Tennis Channel.

“Okay, I love playing tennis and I love when I step on the court, but sometimes it’s too many days in a row, too many weeks in a row. So I just love to take my time off just with my family, with my friends, just at home, doing nothing at all.”

Hale acknowledged broader calendar concerns. “The calendar has a problem: it’s too long. There are many 250 and 500 tournaments. The Saudi tournament is upcoming, and soon they will announce its schedule and duration,” he added. “When Sinner and Alcaraz withdrew this year, we spoke with them and said, ‘Okay, in 2026 you will be in Montreal. Ensure that happens’. I’m confident they will be there next year, with the bonuses we offer and the three weeks between tournaments.”