Novak Djokovic Withdraws From the Cincinnati Open and Will Head to the US Open Without Preparation
The 24-time Grand Slam champion hasn't competed since losing in the Wimbledon semifinals to eventual champion Jannik Sinner on July 11.
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Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sinner lukewarm on expanded Cincinnati format
Jannik Sinner on Wednesday gave tepid approval to the 12-day jumbo version of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters while confessing that he would actually prefer to keep the event to the usual one week length. The world number one will be defending his title at the final big event prior to the August 24 start of the US Open. Extending the ongoing Canada event - and Cincinnati - to 12 days with 96-player draws also means that WTA and ATP events in Canada will stage unorthodox finals on Thursday while play is beginning in Cincinnati. Sinner said that given the choice he would opt for the classic system of one-week events for an increasingly crowded calendar. "We (top players) cannot control everything," the Italian said. "The fans now have two weekends to hopefully watch some good tennis. "That is exactly what we need in this sport." But the Wimbledon champion who skipped Canada to rest after his triumph two weeks earlier in the final at the All England Club over Carlos Alcaraz added: "I would prefer a one-week event, it's something that I like. "But it's OK, I'm here and I'm very happy." Other top 10 players, including Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur, have also complained in recent days about the wholesale calendar rewrite which has the enthusiastic endorsement of the ATP and WTA. Sinner said that he enjoyed his time away from the courts, spending time at home with family and friends. "Then it was back to practice to try and get as ready as possible for the US swing." He said Wimbledon, where he beat Alcaraz after losing to the Spaniard at Roland Garros, "felt very, very special." str/bb
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Chase for FedEx Cup top 50 is in on — and Jordan Spieth, Wyndham Clark have work to do
Keegan Bradley had his bags packed in his Memphis hotel room and was resigned to the fact that his 2024 FedEx Cup run was over. But he had his TV tuned to the live tournament coverage, his phone on the PGA Tour app's live scoring and his iPad streaming a featured hole. Still, he couldn't believe how the stars aligned perfectly for him. Or rather, how things came crashing down for Tom Kim, who finished bogey, double bogey, double bogey at TPC Southwind, dropping from 46th to 51st in the FedEx Cup standings and allowing Bradley to sneak in at No. 50. 'At the last minute, I texted my caddie, 'Dude, I think we're going to finish in the top 50. I don't see how we don't,' ' recounted Bradley, who hitched a ride to the next event with fellow pro Billy Horschel. 'I went to Denver with this real big sense of relief.' Bradley exhaled, and everything changed. He had guaranteed his entry into all eight signature events this season, while Kim was admitted into none. The following week? Bradley won the BMW, made his way to Atlanta for the Tour Championship, finishing T-21, and even parlayed his late-season success into a captain's pick for the U.S. Presidents Cup team. Such is the fine line that exists on the PGA Tour. Spieth, Clark, Lee teetering on top 50 While 70 players qualified for the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, everyone is hoping to pull a Keegan Bradley because the magic number this week is 50 – that's how many players will survive and advance to the BMW Championship, and, more importantly, secure all eight signature events in 2026. Some notable pros are under the gun to produce this week, including three-time major winner Jordan Spieth at No. 48 in the FedEx Cup standings, 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who enters the week at No. 49, and the 'Bubble Boy,' Min Woo Lee at 50. Spieth played last week in hopes of improving his position, but finished T-31 at the Wyndham Championship and only treaded water. He knows he's in for a stressful week and that he has work to do to avoid missing the BMW for a second straight year. 'I didn't like asking for exemptions this year at all. I was fortunate to receive a lot of them, but you just never know,' he said. 'And when you miss out on elevated events, the way it's structured, they've got the best players in the world at all of them and you don't want to miss any of them.' Clark is in the same boat. Since missing the cut at the U.S. Open, he has climbed from No. 80 to No. 49. He's finished T-17 or better in four of his last five starts, and his T-4 at the British Open was his best result of his season. Clark also has positive vibes at TPC Southwind, where he finished T-7 last year. He'll need no worse than to finish 68th this week and still has positioning for East Lake on his mind plus Ryder Cup hopes to play for too. Australia's Lee sits on the bubble at No. 50 and his game has been ice cold since his win at the Children's Hospital Houston Open in late March. He missed the cut at the last three majors and has failed to record a top 10 since his win. Poston, Finau among those looking to climb Among those on the outside looking in are J.T. Poston, who has qualified for the BMW in each of the last three years, starts the week at No. 51. He's only recorded one top-10 finish all season and his seven top 25s are his fewest since 2020-21. Tony Finau at No. 60 is looking to stretch his streak of eight straight trips to East Lake for the Tour Championship, but he has work to do, as does Rickie Fowler at No. 64, who needs no worse than a T-17 finish. 'Good golf solves a lot of things,' he said. And that's what it takes to make it this far and beyond. 'It's becoming as challenging as ever to qualify for the playoffs and then BMW and Tour Championship, so, it's truly the best fields we can get in terms of who has played the best over the course of the whole season and I'm ready to get going,' said Justin Thomas, who enters the week at No. 5 in the standings. By Sunday, some players will rise to the occasion, others will benefit from some Keegan Bradley-like luck, and inevitably, there will be a player who experiences a Tom Kim-like meltdown. Last week, that player was Keith Mitchell, who made a 4-putt double bogey and missed a 7-foot putt on his final hole during the second round of the Wyndham Championship to miss the cut. He failed to make it to Memphis, but he succeeded in summing up how it hurts to come up just short of a season-long goal. "Gave it my all this year, probably too much, loads of pressure on myself to make the playoffs and top 50,' he said. 'We fight and fight and grind to give it our all and to finish like that is really just heartbreaking."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Open grander than ever in 2025
Just two years ago, the Cincinnati Open, then known as the Western & Southern Open, almost left town. Now, it's grander than ever. The 2025 tournament, with the main draw running from August 7 to 18, will feature nearly all of tennis' top talents, while introducing enhancements to the grounds for players and fans. Following a $260 million investment into the facilities at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, the tournament has expanded to 96-player men's and women's singles fields, an increase from 56 in 2024. Talents representing 37 countries will be involved, including 24 from the United States. 'We look forward to welcoming the world's best tennis stars to compete for the Cincinnati Open title in August,' said Tournament Director Bob Moran in July. 'We have received a lot of excitement from the players about coming back to see our transformed campus and experiencing the new player amenities. Players and fans alike will enjoy the re-imagined venue and world-class atmosphere as the sport's best compete for the title.' To accommodate the growing field, 10 new practice courts were added near the Grandstand Court. A six-court indoor tennis facility was also created. A new two-story clubhouse will be available for them, featuring additional amenities for the players, including a lounge and restaurant. Plus, there is more adequate space for support teams, wellness and recovery. The previous edition of this space was converted into a new fitness center and an expanded locker room. The remodeled campus features 31 courts, 10 more than in 2024, and the new Champions Court, a sunken stadium that accommodates 2,000 spectators. That playing field is the fourth largest of the five permanent stadiums. Additionally, all the courts received a new coat of paint and a fresh colorway. 'We are ushering in a new era at the Cincinnati Open, and the complete transformation of our campus will create an unparalleled experience for our fans and players,' said Moran when The Cincinnati Open announced these updates. For the fans, a permanent Pavilion was created to provide shade cover. Meanwhile, 'park-like' greenery was added across the campus, and all asphalt was replaced with concrete to enhance the aesthetic. Six pickleball and two padel courts were also created for viewers. To further accommodate spectators, a new entrance was added on the south side of the campus, and the north side entrance has been enhanced. Plus, more parking has been added to the campus. 'The campus transformation will include comprehensive upgrades and improvements, making an enormous impact for many generations to come,' said Kristin Byrd, design director and architect for Gensler, when the updates were revealed. The 2025 field will include all the healthy top ten players on the ATP and WTA tours. The full draw has yet to be released. Seven-time Grand Slam winner, Venus Williams, will also participate in the Cincinnati Open. She received a wild card shortly after she became the oldest woman to win a singles match since 2004, defeating Cincinnati native Peyton Stearns at the DC Open. Cincinnati native Caty McNally, who was once ranked No. 11 in the world, was also awarded a wild card. A look at the top players: Janik Sinner As far as favorites go, Janik Sinner will enter as one of them following his 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon. The 23-year-old has held first place in the ATP rankings since June 2024, when he became the first Italian to reach the spot. Sinner has won 20 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including four Grand Slams. He also won the Cincinnati Open in 2024. With the US Open around the corner, the Italian could tune up his game in Ohio, with a trophy on the line. Carlos Alcaraz Meanwhile, Sinner and Alcaraz could renew their rivalry on center court, having split the previous two Grand Slams after facing off in the French Open and Wimbledon finals. The world No. 2 last competed in the Cincinnati Open in 2023, when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the finals. It became the longest match in tournament history, almost reaching four hours. Alcaraz took a break after Wimbledon when he withdrew from the National Bank Open in Canada. Taylor Fritz The highest-ranked American in the competition is Taylor Fritz, who lost 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon semifinals. The 27-year-old has yet to win a Grand Slam, but he came close when he reached the 2024 US Open final, where he lost to Sinner. As Fritz looks to surpass such heights this season, the Cincinnati Open could fuel him with momentum should he produce a strong showing. Despite being unable to conquer a Grand Slam, Fritz's ATP ranking has surged in the last two years, and he has already won two singles titles this season. Arya Sabalenka On the women's side, Aryna Sabalenka has held the top spot of the WTA rankings since late 2024. However, the three-time Grand Slam winner has yet to win a major this year. After falling in the finals of the Australian Open and French Open, Sabalenka fell short at Wimbledon when Amanda Anisimova beat her in the semifinal, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The American, Anisimova, would go on to lose to Iga Świątek in the final, 6-0, 6-0. Following a 2024 season in which Sabalenka claimed two Grand Slams, the final slam of the season could be a key tournament for her, with the preceding event being the Cincinnati Open. Iga Swiatek Świątek, riding the high of her Wimbledon victory, will compete in Montréal before arriving in Mason. However, the event could still be important for the player striving to continue turning around an initially rocky year. The former world No. 1 struggled to find form for much of the year, but proved how vital the events before Grand Slams could be before Wimbledon. She reached the finals at the Bad Homburg Open on grass before claiming the main prize in London. Channeling similar energy, the Cincinnati Open could offer similar value for Świątek and others. Coco Gauff After being stunned with a Round of 32 exit at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, Gauff returns to the field in Mason after a first-round exit at Wimbledon. Gauff, who has lost her two most recent matches, might find better form in Canada before arriving in Ohio. But the world No. 2 could still look to salvage momentum in Ohio as she looks to close out an otherwise solid season, in which she won the French Open. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Open grander than ever in 2025
