Tennis | Cincinnati Open

Cincinnati Open: Draw, Seeds, Prize money and more 

The Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati is the last major stop of the tennis summer hard-court season leading up to the US Open. This year, the joint ATP and WTA 1000 event is star-studded as always. 

Iga Swiatek and Daniil Medvedev, as the WTA and ATP number one players, are top seeds. Both players will be eager for better results after Swiatek crashed out in the Toronto 0pen round of 16 with a defeat by Beatriz Haddad Maia and Medvedev failed to make it past the second round, losing to in-form Nick Kyrgios.  

In the men’s draw, defending champion Alexander Zverev was forced to withdraw, as he has not fully recovered from the ankle injury he sustained while playing Rafael Nadal at the French Open. 

Another major absentee is 21-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic. The Serb will miss the tournament due to the United States’ policy banning non-US citizens who are unvaccinated for COVID-19 from entering the country.
 

Top Men’s Seeds 

1. Daniil Medvedev 

1. Rafael Nadal 

1. Carlos Alcaraz 

1. Stefanos Tsitsipas  

1. 5. Casper Ruud 

1. Andrey Rublev 

1. Felix Auger-Aliassime 

1. Hubert Hurkacz 

1. Cameron Norrie 

1. Jannik Sinner 

1. Taylor Fritz 

1. Matteo Berrettini 

1. Diego Schwartzman 

1. Marin Cilic 

1. Roberto Bautista Agut 

1. Grigor Dimitrov 

Women’s Seeds 

1. Iga Swiatek 

1. Anett Kontaveit 

1. Paula Badosa 

1. Maria Sakkari 

1. Ons Jabeur 

1. Aryna Sabalenka 

1. Jessica Pegula 

1. Garbine Muguruza 

1. Daria Kasatkina 

1. Emma Raducanu 

1. Coco Gauff 

1. Belinda Bencic 

1. Leylah Fernandez 

1. Karolina Pliskova 

1. Simona Halep 

1. Jelena Ostapenko 

Cincinnati will be Serena Williams’ penultimate tournament before she calls time on her distinguished career at the US Open, and with the draws now revealed, the 40-year-old is set to clash with 2021 US Open champion, Emma Raducanu, in the first round. 

This is surely one of the matches to look forward to in the opening round. It is tricky draw for both players, who will be looking to make deep runs at the tournament to build up to Flushing Meadows. 

Raducanu has been unable to replicate the form which led her to her first and only title in New York last year, but the World No. 10 has shown flashes of brilliance in the past year and is definitely a potential banana peel for Serena. 

The winner of this blockbuster will then take on upset specialist Kaia Kanepi or two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka in the second round.  

Notable Women’s first round matches: 

Karolina Pliskova v Venus Williams 

Simona Halep v Karolina Muchova 

Jil Teichmann v Petra Kvitova  

Sloane Stephens v Alize Cornet  

Beatriz Haddad Maia v Jelena Ostapenko 

Bianca Andreescu v Camila Giorgi 

Amanda Anisimova v Daria Kasatkina 

Sofia Kenin v Shelby Rogers 

In the men’s draw, Rafael Nadal returns to action for the first time since Wimbledon, where he pulled out ahead of his semifinal match with Nick Kyrgios due to an abdominal injury. 

The Spaniard has a lot to play for as he stands a chance of becoming World No.1 if he wins the title and Medvedev fails to reach the last eight. 

Notable Men’s first round matches: 

Grigor Dimitrov v Denis Shapovalov 

Matteo Berrettini v Frances Tiafoe 

Alexander Bublik v Alex De Minaur  

Nick Kyrgios v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 

Karen Khachanov v Sebastian Korda 

Cameron Norrie v Holger Rune 

Pablo Carreno Busta v Miomir Kecmanovic 

Tommy Paul v Jenson Brooksby  

Prize Money (Women):  

First round: $11,725 

Second round: $16,340 

Third round: $28,730 

Quarterfinals: $57,440 

Semifinals: $125,000 

Final: $242,800 

Champion: $412,000 

Prize Money (Men): 

First round: $25,110  

Second round: $45,315  

Third round: $84,510 

Quarterfinals: $157,995  

Semifinals: $289,655 

Final: $529,710  

Champion: $970,020 

The Western and Southern Open runs between August 14th and 21st.