Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have reached the finals in the last three tournaments they both participated in: the Rome Masters and two Grand Slams, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Alcaraz triumphed in Rome and Roland Garros, before Sinner broke his five-match losing streak against his rival at Wimbledon last month.

Sinner (left) and Alcaraz chat during a joint interview last November, on the sidelines of the ATP Finals. Photo: Reuters

In Cincinnati this week, defending champion Sinner will open against a qualifier or the world number 80, Vit Kopriva from the Czech Republic. The Italian player may then face rising star Gabriel Diallo in the third round, 13th seed Tommy Paul in the fourth round, and compatriot Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals.

Second seed Alcaraz, who lost to Novak Djokovic in one of the greatest Masters 1000 finals in history here in 2023, will play Mattia Bellucci or Damir Dzumhur in his opening match. Alcaraz's subsequent opponents could be Tallon Griekspoor in the third round, Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik in the fourth round, and sixth seed Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals.

Fourth seed Taylor Fritz is in the same top half of the draw as Sinner, while third seed Alexander Zverev is in the bottom half with Alcaraz. Zverev may face an early challenge against veteran French player Gael Monfils in the second round.

Former world number one Djokovic will not participate in any events leading up to the US Open, having withdrawn from the Cincinnati Masters, which runs from 7-18/8. Djokovic also skipped the Masters 1000 event in Canada. This mirrors Djokovic's approach last year after winning gold at the Paris Olympics, when he went straight to the US Open. He subsequently lost in four sets to Alexei Popyrin in the third round.

One difference from 2024 is that Djokovic is scheduled to participate in the mixed doubles at this year's US Open, which starts a week before the men's singles. He is planning to partner with compatriot Olga Danilovic.

The US Open men's singles main draw begins on 24/8. Djokovic has won the final Grand Slam of the year three times, most recently in 2023 after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Vy Anh