ATP Brief: August 15, 2026
Cincinnati Round One Continues with Upsets and Farewells
First-round action at the Cincinnati Open continued Friday with a mix of veteran struggles and breakthrough performances. Matteo Berrettini battled past French qualifier Titouan Droguet in three sets to advance, while 20-year-old Martin Landaluce—fresh off his upset of Jack Draper—looks to build on his momentum in the second round. The tournament draw has taken on added significance with top seed Alexander Zverev and third seed Novak Djokovic potentially on a collision course in the later rounds, particularly notable given the absences of injured World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The day's most emotional moment belonged to Gael Monfils, who completed his 14th and final Cincinnati appearance with a three-set loss to Rinky Hijikata. The 39-year-old Frenchman received a standing ovation from the crowd as he said goodbye to a tournament that has been a fixture on his calendar for over a decade. Monfils, who has announced he will retire at the end of 2026, leaves Cincinnati having provided fans with years of spectacular shotmaking and showmanship at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Djokovic himself returns to Cincinnati for the first time since 2023, bringing a 10-match winning streak at the tournament where he has won three titles. The 24-time Grand Slam champion reflected on more than two decades of memories at the event, including memorable battles with Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz. With the US Open just over two weeks away and the top two players sidelined, Cincinnati offers Djokovic and the rest of the field a crucial opportunity to gain confidence and fine-tune their games on hard courts.
Sources: ATP Tour · Cincinnati Open · ATP Tour · Cincinnati Open · ATP Tour