NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 29: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates his win over Milos Raonic of ... [+]
Novak Djokovic will play his first tournament in the U.S. since 2021 when he returns to the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati next month — and he could face Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in yet another final.
Alcaraz, who topped Djokovic in an epic five-set Wimbledon final on Sunday, are both in the player field in Cincinnati, which runs Aug. 12-20 at the Lindner Family Tennis.
It will mark Djokovic’s first appearance at the event since 2019. He has been unable to play some tournaments in the U.S. — including last year’s U.S. Open — for the past couple of years due to his vaccination status. He was not permitted in the U.S. in March to play Indiana Wells and Miami, but a change in U.S. COVID policy in May paved the way for him to play the U.S. Open later this summer.
“It’s absurd they threw him out of Australia last year,” ESPN’s John McEnroe said in February. “I have had my vaccines, I respect that he’s chosen not to do it. I would’ve done it, but that’s a whole other issue....He played [the U.S. Open] in 2021 and then wasn’t allowed to play in 2022, someone explain that to me. And now he’s still not permitted to play, I mean it’s absurd.”
Djokovic is a two-time Western & Southern Open champion who has been a finalist five additional times and owns a 40-12 record at the tournament. At age 36, he would be the oldest man to ever win this tournament dating back to 1899, but he is joined by two other slightly older 36-year-olds in the draw – two-time winner Andy Murray and quarterfinalist Gael Monfils. Djokovic is the all-time men’s leader with 23 Grand Slam singles titles including this year’s Australian and French Opens.
On the women’s side, Wimbledon champions Marketa Vondrousova as well as finalist Ons Jabeur are also in the field.
The initial entry list includes the world’s top 41 men and 39 women, 14 Grand Slam champions, eight current or former world No. 1-ranked players and 11 past tournament champions.
“As one of the premier tournaments in the world, it's not surprising to see an elite field enter for the chance to win the Western & Southern Open,” said Tournament Director Todd Martin. “We look forward to these world class players coming to Cincinnati to write another chapter in this event's rich history while they aspire to win one of the most important events of their season.”
The Western & Southern Open is one of only five events globally to host an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournament in the same week at the same venue, joining Madrid, Miami, Rome and Indian Wells, California. All of this year’s 1000-level tournament winners so far are Grand Slam champions except 2021 Cincinnati finalist Andrey Rublev. The men’s winners include Alcaraz (Indian Wells, Madrid), Daniil Medvedev (Miami, Rome) and Rublev (Monte Carlo), while the women’s champions are Barbora Krejcikova (Dubai), Elena Rybakina (Indian Wells, Rome), Petra Kvitova (Miami) and Aryna Sabalenka (Madrid).
World No. 1 Alcaraz, 20, will be aiming for his first title in Cincinnati. In addition to winning his first Wimbledon title last weekend, he is the reigning U.S. Open champion. He is the youngest on the men’s entry list among fellow 20-year-olds Holger Rune and Ben Shelton.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 16: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain kisses the Men's Singles Trophy following his ... [+]
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, No. 2 Sabalenka and No. 3 Rybakina are all vying for their first Western & Southern Open crown. Swiatek is the current title holder at both the U.S. Open and French Open while Australian Open winner Sabalenka has claimed one 1000-level event this year, and former Wimbledon winner Rybakina has won two 1000-level events and reached the Australian Open final this season. Of the three, Sabalenka has the best record in Cincinnati where she has reached two semifinals.
Nipping at the heels of the top three women are No. 4 American Jessica Pegula, No. 5 and reigning Western & Southern Open champion Caroline Garcia, and No. 6 Jabeur. American Coco Gauff, last year’s W&S Open finalist Kvitova, Maria Sakkari and new Wimbledon champion Vondrousova round out the world’s top 10 women, all of whom will compete in Cincinnati. Gauff, 19, is the only teenager on either entry list and would be the youngest woman to win the title in the Open Era (1969).
American Chris Eubanks vaulted up to No. 31 in the world after his surprising run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, earning a direct entry into the Western & Southern Open for the first time. He will be joined by Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, both ranked in the world’s Top 10.
Another Wimbledon star headed to Cincinnati is Elina Svitolina, who just returned to the tour from maternity leave in April after giving birth in October to daughter, Skaï, with husband and ATP entrant Monfils. She defeated four Grand Slam champions en route to the Wimbledon semifinals and is one of four mothers on the initial entry list for the Western & Southern Open.
Former tournament champions in the draw include Djokovic, Medvedev, Murray, Alexander Zverev, Borna Coric, Marin Cilic and Grigor Dimitrov for the men, and Garcia, Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka and Karolina Pliskova on the women’s side.
Current or former No 1-ranked players are men Djokovic, Alcaraz, Medvedev and Murray, and women Swiatek, Azarenka, Pliskova and previously announced wild card entrant Caroline Wozniacki, who is returning from a three-year retirement.