The Cincinnati Open begins Thursday, Aug. 13. This 96-player, hard-court Masters 1000 event will have byes into the second round for each of the top 32 seeds. That list of seeds doesn't include the top two players in the world, as neither Jannik Sinner (knee) or Carlos Alcaraz (wrist) will participate in this event due to injuries, opening the door for title favorites such as Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, as well as the fast-ascending wave of next-gen ATP Tour talent. All Cincinnati Open matches are best-of-three sets.
Before we get to the favorites, contenders and sleepers at the Cincinnati Open, let's acknowledge some notable injuries and absences. Sinner and Alcaraz are the two biggest names missing, but Holger Rune (Achilles), Alexander Bublik (rest) and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ankle) are also among the players that won't be participating in the Cincinnati Open this year.
The top favorites to win the title without Sinner and Alcaraz are Zverev, Ben Shelton and Djokovic, but the rest of the pack has a much better chance than usual in the absence of the two players who have combined to win 10 of the 11 Grand Slam events since the start of 2024. Sinner also won the first five Masters 1000 events this year before missing the Canadian Open. After each player's name below, you will see their title odds from DraftKings Sportsbook. Other best sports betting sites for betting both tennis futures and individual matches include FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook. Tennis Odds & Lines can vary quite substantially, especially for long shots, so you are encouraged to shop around for the best lines if you have access to multiple sports betting apps. We offer exclusive sportsbook promos in states where sports betting has gone live.
Cincinnati Open ATP Picks
The Favorite for the 2026 Cincinnati Open
Alexander Zverev (+400) - Zverev is the No. 1 seed for a second consecutive Masters 1000 event. The French Open champion didn't live up to that top billing at the Canadian Open, where Zverev lost his first match to Tallon Griekspoor, but Zverev is a seven-time Masters 1000 champion, with three of those titles coming on hard courts. The big-serving German certainly has the game to win this title, but Zverev will have to navigate a difficult draw to do so. Cameron Norrie or Dino Prizmic could offer a stern second-round test after Zverev's first-round bye for a second consecutive event, 2025 semifinalist Terence Atmane is a possible third-round opponent, Valentin Vacherot or Tommy Paul may present a challenge in the Round of 16, and rising star Rafael Jodar or French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli are potential quarterfinal foes for the top seed. Navigating that gauntlet would allow Zverev to set up a possible semifinal clash against Djokovic, the winner of which would be favored in the final.
In the Mix for the 2026 Cincinnati Open
Ben Shelton (+550) - Shelton is the favorite to emerge from the weaker bottom half of the draw, where the eighth-seeded American could face No. 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals. The fast hard courts in Cincinnati fit Shelton's aggressive game style well, but he has yet to advance past the quarterfinals at this tournament, losing to Zverev at that stage each of the past two years. Shelton's one match away from defending his title at the Canadian Open, as he'll face Brandon Nakashima on Thursday in the first all-American Masters 1000 final since the 2003 Cincinnati Open. While Shelton's Canadian Open run shows he's in excellent form, it will also leave him more fatigued heading into Cincinnati, especially with weather delays compressing the final couple rounds in Montreal. It wouldn't be surprising for Shelton to beat Lorenzo Musetti in the Round of 16, FAA in the quarterfinals and one of Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev or Joao Fonseca to reach the final, but Shelton's 0-6 combined head-to-head against Zverev and Djokovic suggest the American's title odds may be a tad too optimistic here.
Novak Djokovic (+600) - Djokovic has played only 19 matches all year and none since his semifinal loss to Sinner at Wimbledon, but it's hard not to like the 39-year-old legend here at +600. The vast majority of Djokovic's focus is devoted to his chase for a 25th Grand Slam title at this point in his career, but what better way to build momentum before the US Open than to add a 41st Masters 1000 title? Djokovic has played this tournament only twice since 2019, but he has won it on both occasions, capping his most recent Cincinnati Open appearance with a win over Alcaraz in arguably the greatest best-of-three set match ever played on the ATP Tour. Seeded No. 3 here, Djokovic is more than capable of beating Jakub Mensik in the Round of 16 and one of Alex de Minaur, Jiri Lehecka or Arthur Fils in the quarterfinals to set up a semifinal with Zverev, against whom Djokovic is 9-5.
Taylor Fritz (+900) - Fritz hasn't been past the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open before, but he won a Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells in 2022 and reached the US Open final in 2024, both on North American hard courts. The sixth-seeded American is in the bottom half of the draw, and would likely have to beat Joao Fonseca, Daniil Medvedev and one of Shelton/Auger-Aliassime from the Round of 16 onward in order to reach his second career Masters 1000 final. Fritz won a hard-court ATP 500 title in Washington a couple weeks ago.
Rafael Jodar (+1000) - Jodar has rocketed up the rankings and is seeded 12th here. He just made the semifinals of the Canadian Open, marking the seventh time in his last eight events entered that Jodar has reached at least the quarterfinals. The 19-year-old Spaniard's certainly capable of beating the seventh-seeded Cobolli to keep that streak going, but Jodar would be the underdog in a quarterfinal against Zverev, who beat Jodar in straight sets in the French Open quarterfinals.
The long list of secondary contenders for the Cincinnati Open title consists of Daniil Medvedev (+1800), Felix Auger-Aliassime (+2500), Arthur Fils (+2500), Lorenzo Musetti (+2500), Jakub Mensik (+2800), Alex de Minaur (+3000), Joao Fonseca (+3000) and Jiri Lehecka (+3000). Fonseca is probably the most intriguing name on that list given the quality he showed in his French Open win over Djokovic. The Brazilian teenager is in the bottom half of the draw, along with Auger-Aliassime and Medvedev from this group. The second-seeded FAA has the game to succeed in fast conditions with a big serve and big forehand, while Medvedev has five hard-court Masters 1000 titles under his belt, though none since 2023. Mensik beat Djokovic in the 2025 Miami Open championship match and Fils has the weapons to hang with anyone in fast conditions, while Musetti, de Minaur and Lehecka have high floors but probably lack the ceiling on hard court to emerge from the stacked top half of the draw.
Sleepers for the 2026 Cincinnati Open
Learner Tien (+4000) - Tien is an excellent hard-court player, as the 20-year-old American showed once again with his semifinal run at the Canadian Open. The Australian Open quarterfinalist landed in an intriguing section of the draw, with a possible matchup against Auger-Aliassime in the Round of 16. Tien isn't the biggest hitter, but he has excellent tennis IQ and court positioning, while his ability to open up the court on big points with a lefty slice serve on the ad side certainly doesn't hurt.
Jack Draper (+5000) - Draper has struggled to stay healthy and dropped to 143rd in the rankings, but the British lefty was ranked No. 4 in June of 2025 and has shown an elite ceiling on hard courts, winning Indian Wells in 2025 after reaching the semifinals of the 2024 US Open. Andy Murray's protege hasn't played a match in nearly two months and won't have much time to play his way into form since he could face Djokovic in the third round, but Draper certainly has some sleeper appeal at +5000 odds in this depleted field, and he defeated Djokovic at this year's edition of Indian Wells.
Frances Tiafoe (+8000) - Tiafoe plays his best tennis in the U.S., where the 17th-seeded American can feed off the crowd. He'll face off against Tien in the third round if both American seeds win their respective second-round matches. The winner of that match could go on a deep run, and Tiafoe has proven capable of excelling in these conditions before. His lone career Masters 1000 final came at the 2024 Cincinnati Open.
Cincinnati Open Prediction
Dating back to May of 2025, Djokovic is 1-5 against Sinner and Alcaraz but 40-4 against the rest of the field. With no Sinner or Alcaraz in this draw, it's hard to pick anyone other than Novak Djokovic to win the Cincinnati Open title. Fonseca has the game to make it out of the wide-open bottom half of the draw, and a Djokovic-Fonseca final would be must-see TV given their contrast in styles and ages.
Those looking for more tennis coverage can check out RotoWire's latest tennis news, Tennis Injury Report, Tennis Events page, and Tennis Player Comparison tool.
