Cincinnati 2024: Men's singles draw analysis, preview & prediction ft. potential Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner final | Western & Southern Open
The men's singles draw for the 2024 Cincinnati Masters (August 11-19) was unveiled on Saturday, August 10. We are in for a week of high-octane tennis action.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is the top seed at the ATP 1000 tournament. The reigning Australian Open champion will aim for his fifth title of the season as he begins his campaign.
Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz complete the top five seeds. Each of them poses a significant channel and could easily thwart Sinner's quest.
There are many exciting first-round matches lined up, including two All-American clashes between Ben Shelton and Reilly Opelka, Holger Rune vs Matteo Berrettini, Frances Tiafoe vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Ugo Humbert vs Jordan Thompson, Lorenzo Musetti vs Nicolas Jarry, and Sebastian Korda vs Pablo Carreno Busta.
With that in mind, let's dive into how the men's singles draw of the 2024 Cincinnati Masters might unfold over the next seven days.
Top Half: Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev & Taylor Fritz make for interesting draw
Seeded Players: (1) Jannik Sinner, (3) Alexander Zverev, (6) Andrey Rublev, (8) Grigor Dimitrov, (11) Taylor Fritz, (12) Ben Shelton, (13) Ugo Humbert, (16) Sebastian Korda
Expected Semifinal: Jannik Sinner vs Alexander Zverev
Dark Horse: Reilly Opelka
Analysis: Top seed Jannik Sinner is in this half of the draw and will begin his campaign in the second round, where he could face either Tallon Griekspoor, a qualifier, or a special exempt player, having received a first-round bye.
In the following round, the Italian might face Ugo Humbert or Marcos Giron, before a potential quarterfinal clash with Andrey Rublev or Taylor Fritz. Given Sinner's form this season, he should be well-positioned to overcome these challenges and advance to the semifinals.
The other side of this half features formidable players such as Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov. While the likes of Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, and Reilly Opelka could pose a threat, a quarterfinal showdown between Zverev and Dimitrov remains highly likely.
While predicting the winner is challenging, the odds might favor Zverev, who has shown incredible form this season, including winning his sixth Masters title in Rome and reaching the French Open final. Dimitrov has also had a strong season and could certainly push Zverev, but in this case, the German seems more likely to come out on top and advance to the last four.
A semifinal clash between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev would be thrilling. While Sinner has only managed to defeat Zverev once, in the fourth round of Roland-Garros in 2020, the latter has won their other three meetings. However, this time around, the result could swing in the World No. 1's favor, paving the way for him to win another title.
Semifinal Prediction: Jannik Sinner def. Alexander Zverev
Bottom Half: Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Tommy Paul & others will look to challenge Carlos Alcaraz
Seeded Players: (2) Carlos Alcaraz, (4) Daniil Medvedev, (5) Hubert Hurkacz, (7) Casper Ruud, (9) Stefanos Tsitsipas, (10) Tommy Paul, (14) Lorenzo Musetti, (15) Holger Rune
Expected Semifinal: Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul
Dark Horse: Felix Auger-Aliassime
Analysis: This half of the draw has second seed and last year's runner-up Carlos Alcaraz, who will kick off his campaign in the second round, facing either Gael Monfils or Alexei Popyrin, having received a first-round bye. Given the Spaniard's impressive form and that of his potential opponents—Holger Rune, Matteo Berrettini, and Adrian Mannarino—he appears well-equipped to reach the quarterfinals of the 2024 Cincinnati Masters.
In the quarterfinals, Alcaraz is likely to face either Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime, or Stefanos Tsitsipas. While Ruud is a strong contender to reach the last eight, Auger-Aliassime shouldn't be underestimated and could challenge the World No. 3. However, despite a tough battle, it seems unlikely for the Canadian to prevent the Spaniard from advancing to the semifinals.
The other side of this half features four strong seeded players: Daniil Medvedev, Hubert Hurkacz, Tommy Paul, and Lorenzo Musetti. While all are capable of reaching the quarterfinals, there's a good chance that Medvedev and Paul will be the ones doing so. Hurkacz has been struggling with consistency in recent months, which might hinder his progress.
Medvedev and Paul could have an exciting clash in the last eight, where the American might just prevail over his Russian opponent and set up a semifinal showdown with Alcaraz.
Alcaraz and Paul have faced each other seven times on the ATP Tour so far. The four-time Grand Slam champion holds a 5-2 advantage in their head-to-head record and is likely to advance and set up a showdown with his arch-rival Jannik Sinner for the trophy.
Semifinal Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz def. Tommy Paul
Cincinnati Masters 2024: Final prediction
Carlos Alcaraz def. Jannik Sinner