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Cincinnati Open Draw: Projecting Sinner and Alcaraz's Path to Final

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz face unique challenges to make the Cincinnati Open final.
Pat Benson|
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz could meet in the Cincinnati Open final.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz could meet in the Cincinnati Open final. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

On Saturday afternoon, the two top-ranked ATP players will return to the court for the first time in almost a full month. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have not competed since the Wimbledon final on July 13.

Sinner and Alcaraz cruise into the Cincinnati Open as the top two seeds, but they have missed the first half of the North American hard court swing.

In addition to dealing with rustiness, both players face unique challenges in their path to the final. Below is a projected round-by-round breakdown for Sinner and Alcaraz.

Jannik Sinner

Sinner gets a bye in the first round. From there, he will face either Vit Kopriva or a qualifier in the second round.

Should Sinner advance to the third round, he could face Gabriel Diallo, Sebastian Baez, or David Goffin. The fourth round gets tougher for Sinner. He could face 13-seed Tommy Paul or 19-seed Tomáš Macháč.

If Sinner makes it to the quarterfinal, he could face 8-seed Lorenzo Musetti, 11-seed Casper Ruud, or the 25-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. The semifinal could pit Sinner against 4-seed Taylor Fritz, 7-seed Holger Rune, or 15-seed Flavio Cobolli.

If Sinner makes it all the way to the final, two-seed Alcaraz, three-seed Alexander Zverev, 6-seed Alex de Minaur, or 5-seed Ben Shelton could be waiting on him.

Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz gets a bye in the first round. In the second round, he will face either Damir Džumhur or Mattia Bellucci.

Should Alcaraz win his first test, he could face 26-seed Tallon Griekspoor or Hamad Medjedovic in the third round. The fourth round gets much more challenging for Alcaraz. He could face 16-seed Jakub Menšík or 24-seed Denis Shapovalov.

If Alcaraz advances to the quarterfinal, he could face 6-seed Alex de Minaur, the 9-seed Andrey Rublev, or the 21-seed Alexei Popyrin.

In the semifinal, Alcaraz could face Zverev, Shelton, or 12-seed Daniil Medvedev. On the opposite side of the draw, Sinner, Fritz, or Rune could be waiting on Alcaraz in the final.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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