With the US Open main draw less than two weeks ago, almost all of the top players in the world are in Cincinnati looking to gain momentum ahead of the last Major of the year.
The top seven women in the world, as well as eight of the top 10 men, are in the Cincinnati singles draws. World No.1’s Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner both play their opening round matches on Wednesday. Plus, 2019 champion Daniil Medvedev takes on a returning Jiri Lehecka.
But the day’s most compelling matchups will likely be when 15th-seeded Holger Rune faces Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, and when 11th-seeded Emma Navarro plays recent Roland Garros semifinalist Mirra Andreeva.
Throughout the tournament, this preview will analyze the day’s two most prominent matches, while highlighting the other notable matches on the schedule. Wednesday’s play gets underway at 11:00am local time.
Holger Rune (15) vs. Matteo Berrettini (WC) – Second on Stadium 3
It’s been an unremarkable season for Rune, who is a modest 29-16, and hasn’t reached a tournament final since the first week of 2024. And at an event where he is 0-2 lifetime, he cannot be heading into this tough first round draw with too much confidence.
It’s been another season filled with injuries for Berrettini, but when he hasn’t been sidelined, he’s played rather well. Matteo is 21-5 with three titles, having won back-to-back tournaments last month on clay, so he comes into this match on a 10-match winning streak.
Their head-to-head stands at 1-1, with both matches taking place on hard courts, though Berrettini retired midway through his loss. On a fast hard court, I’m backing the more powerful and more in-form player, and that’s Matteo.
Emma Navarro (11) vs. Mirra Andreeva – Not Before 3:00pm on Center Court
Navarro has accumulated 45 match wins this year at all levels, and was a semifinalist just a few days ago in Toronto. That was her best result to date at a WTA 1000 event, as she now makes her second appearance in Cincinnati, after losing in the first round a year ago.
Andreeva is 22-11 in 2024, in a year highlighted by her first Major semifinal in Paris, and a WTA title win last month on clay. And two weeks ago in the Paris Olympics, the 17-year-old won a silver medal in women’s doubles, alongside Diana Shnaider. This is Mirra’s Cincy debut.
While Andreeva is a likely future Major winner, her best results have not come on hard courts as of yet. Playing in her home country, and with a lot of confidence, Navarro should be favored on Wednesday in this first-time encounter.
Other Notable Matches on Wednesday:
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Jannik Sinner (1) vs. Alex Michelsen (Q) – Sinner continues to manage a hip injury that has bothered him the last few months, and he’s just 3-3 lifetime in Cincinnati. Michelsen is a 19-year-old American qualifier with a big serve who defeated Tallon Griekspoor in the first round.
Gael Monfils vs. Alexei Popyrin – Popyrin is just two days removed from a shocking run to his first Masters 1000 title in Montreal, beating five consecutive top 20 players. Monfils arrives in Cincy on a three-match losing streak, and is 14-11 at this event.
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Iga Swiatek (1) vs. Varvara Gracheva (Q) – This will be Swiatek’s first match since the Olympics, and she was a semifinalist here a year ago, when she was upset by eventual champion Coco Gauff. Gracheva survived a third-set tiebreak on Tuesday against Ajla Tomljanovic.
Lorenzo Musetti vs. Frances Tiafoe – What a summer it’s been for Musetti, with a Wimbledon semifinal and an Olympic bronze medal added to his CV. He played for nearly three hours on Tuesday, outlasting Nicolas Jarry in a third-set tiebreak. Tiafoe ousted Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round, though he’s just 20-19 on the year. They have split six meetings at all levels.
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Jiri Lehecka vs. Daniil Medvedev (4) – Medvedev has advanced to the semifinals or better in three of the last five years at this tournament. Lehecka missed the last three months of play due to a back injury, but his last victory before his hiatus came against Medvedev in Madrid.
Wednesday’s full Order of Play is here.
