Holger Rune arrived in Cincinnati with a blend of swagger and self-critique that has defined much of his season. He began a recent match by comparing his tennis to a sports car: “It’s a nice car, to be honest, it’s very nice,” he says. That image returned after a restart in form midmatch against Frances Tiafoe.

Rune began by complaining about his dampener and sent his racquet back to be restrung. With the new frame he immediately produced a slice backhand passing shot and a big serve-forehand sequence to reverse momentum. “I was very consistent,” he said after a recent win. “I played aggressive, but took the right decisions, didn’t play too wild. You could say I played maybe like a Porsche, but controlled, not full power—that can be risky.”

By the sixth game Rune was dominant from the baseline, converting a pair of striking winners to break at 4-4. Tiafoe then felt a problem on his left side, tried treatment and medication, but retired down 6-4, 3-1. The retirement leaves Tiafoe with a major injury concern as he approaches the US Open.

For Rune the result was a practical step rather than a declaration. “I’m happier with my level,” says the ninth-ranked Rune. “It’s going in the direction I want it to.” His 2025 campaign has been uneven: a runner-up finish at Indian Wells and a clay win over Carlos Alcaraz in Barcelona sit beside an early exit at Wimbledon and past first-round losses at the US Open.

Seeking perspective, Rune spent time with Andre Agassi in Washington and again after Toronto. “We spoke about the pace of my serve, the pace of my shots, how I mix up my game,” Rune said of their post-Canada conversation. Agassi urged him to “slow the game down,” and to learn to win without his best.

“I definitely believe that I have a good game that can, as I’ve shown in the past, also challenge them and take matches from them,” Rune says of rivals Sinner and Alcaraz. The question heading into the US Open is whether he can translate those details into consistency on the biggest stages. “I tried to focus on some of the small details I’m working on in my game,” he said. “Details on the serve and the shots and trying to find my groove. From there I took my time, tried to get into the match.”

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.”