The Cincinnati Open is the last major tournament before the US Open. That single fact shapes everything about it. What happens in Mason, Ohio between 13 and 23 August will either confirm form narratives or disrupt them. It is the last chance for players to sharpen, or to stumble, before Flushing Meadows.
The Western & Southern Open runs from Thursday 13 August (main draw) to Saturday 23 August. Qualifying takes place on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 August. The venue is the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, a short drive from central Cincinnati. The event is an ATP Masters 1000 for the men and a WTA 1000 for the women, staged as a combined tournament.
Prize money: $9,415,725 for the men (singles winner: $1,151,380) and $7,433,076 for the women (singles winner: $1,085,200). Those are significant numbers — this is a high-stakes event before the highest-stakes one.
The Big Story Before the Draw Is Made
Both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have withdrawn. Sinner, with a right knee problem. Alcaraz, with a wrist injury. These are two of the most followed players in men’s tennis and both are absent from a mandatory Masters 1000 event. That is the headline regardless of what happens on court.
With Sinner out, Alexander Zverev becomes the top seed. The draw will be made around Wednesday 12 August, and from that moment the potential bracket shapes come into focus.
The Men’s Draw: Zverev in the Spotlight
Alexander Zverev, the effective top seed, is one of the most capable players on hard courts. He has the serve, the baseline game and the experience to win this event. His task is to use Cincinnati as a confidence-builder, not just a ranking exercise.
Felix Auger-Aliassime is the second seed. He has been building consistent results through 2026 and arrives in Cincinnati with the kind of form that makes him genuinely dangerous to anyone in the draw.
Alex de Minaur is the third seed. The Australian has been one of the tour’s most reliable performers and is well-suited to the demands of a hard-court Masters.
Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev are both in the field. Two of the most decorated players in the history of the game, both operating outside the top-8 seedings due to the depth of the current tour. Either could make a run.
Ben Shelton is the sixth seed. He is in form: the defending champion at the National Bank Open in Montreal, reaching at least the quarter-finals there this week. He arrives in Cincinnati with momentum.
Learner Tien, the 20-year-old American who has reached the Montreal quarter-finals, is worth watching. He is playing with confidence and represents the next generation of American tennis. Twenty-four American players are in the Cincinnati field, and the home crowd will play a role.
The Women’s Draw: Sabalenka’s Number, an Open Field
Aryna Sabalenka holds the No. 1 seeding at Cincinnati. That was locked in before the National Bank Open in Toronto, where she was eliminated in the round of 16 on Saturday by Ekaterina Alexandrova. The Toronto loss does not change her Cincinnati seeding.
Sabalenka is still the world No. 1 and her 2026 hard-court record (25-1 before Toronto) remains exceptional. One bad afternoon does not alter the picture entirely. But the questions will follow her to Ohio.
Elena Rybakina is the second seed. She reached the quarter-finals in Toronto and is currently in strong form on hard courts.
Iga Swiatek is the eighth seed and the defending Cincinnati champion, having won the 2025 final over Jasmine Paolini. She is a player who knows how to win this event.
Coco Gauff (seed 4) and Mirra Andreeva (seed 5) add quality. The women’s field also includes Madison Keys, Emma Navarro, Elina Svitolina, Amanda Anisimova, Alex Eala, Caty McNally and Peyton Stearns.
The WTA draw is genuinely open. Six of the top ten Toronto seeds are already out of the summer equation. Cincinnati could produce a different name on the trophy.
What to Watch This Week
Thursday 13 August: Main draw begins. First-round matches get underway. The draw will be confirmed the day before. The early-round match of the week will likely involve one of Djokovic, Medvedev, Shelton or Tien against a qualifier or lower seed.
The Swiatek watch. She is the defending champion, seeded eighth, and currently playing in the Toronto semi-finals. Her form and fitness between Toronto and Cincinnati will be closely monitored.
The Zverev test. As effective top seed with no Sinner or Alcaraz in the draw, Zverev has the most to gain and the most to lose. A deep run here would go into the US Open with real weight.
The American factor. With 24 Americans in the men’s field, and the home crowd behind them, any of Shelton, Fritz, Tiafoe, Paul or Tien could find an extra gear. This happens at Cincinnati.
Format
Both men and women play 96-draw single-elimination formats. The ATP event is a mandatory Masters 1000, meaning all players ranked in the top 30 are required to enter (excluding permitted withdrawals). The WTA event is a WTA 1000 with 32 seeded players. The tournament concludes in the week of 18-23 August.
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