“That feels good,” Fils said during his on-court interview. “A lot of training, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of injuries…. To be able to win a title like this, it means a lot to me…. I started very strong; in the second set I lost a little bit of focus. I had a small talk with [myself], a look at myself in the mirror…. I don’t have any words to describe (it). It feels so good — a little bit of relief, as well.”

“I want to congratulate Arthur,” Tiafoe commented during the trophy ceremony. “Hell of a week, brother…. It’s been a hell of a week (for me). Obviously I didn’t even think I was going to play. To make the final, we take that.”

The 28-year-old American fell to 4-9 lifetime in ATP finals. He was a question mark to even play this event after having cyst removed from his right hand two weeks ago. Tiafoe will rise to 12th in the world on Monday.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.

The post Cincinnati Masters: Fils wins title in three sets over Tiafoe appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

With both Medvedev and Tsitsipas in the top half, the other side of the draw is especially wide open. Darderi is by no means at his best on hard courts, and a whole host of other seeded entrants are borderline clay-court specialists. This should be a prime opportunity for Van de Zandschulp, Quentin Halys, or Mattia Bellucci.

Quarterfinal predictions: Lorenzo Sonego over Fabian Marozsan, Stefanos Tsitsipas over Dino Prizmic, Marcos Giron over Adam Walton, and Botic van de Zandschulp over Quentin Halys

Semifinals: Tsitsipas over Sonego and Van de Zandschulp over Giron

Final: Van de Zandschulp over Tsitsipas

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.

The post Ricky’s tennis picks for the Winston-Salem ATP 250 appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Legendary tennis coach Art Carrington, pictured above center, at the opening of the Arthur Carrington Tennis & Pickleball Complex in Elizabeth, N.J.

Editor’s Note: Coach Art Carrington will be honored with the 10sballs.com Coach of the Year Awarded on September 2nd in New York City.

Legendary tennis coach Art Carrington has welcomed players to tennis and taught them the sport and life skills in the process.

Now, The Arthur CarringtonTennis & Pickleball Complex will welcome players for generations to come.

The city of Elizabeth, New Jersey is honoring Art Carrington’s lifetime of work officially unveiling the Arthur Carrington Tennis and Pickleball Complex yesterday.

The outdoor tennis and pickleball complex, named in honor of the Elizabeth, N.J. native, will eventually be the home of Elizabeth’s varsity tennis teams.

“A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Arthur Carrington Tennis & Pickleball Complex in Elizabeth, NJ. Your presence, support, and energy made this truly special,” Art Carrington said in a Facebook post.

“It is an incredible honor to see this vision become a reality and to have a facility like this become an asset to the Elizabeth community – a place where people of all ages can come together, learn, compete, stay active, and build lasting connections.

“This is more than a tennis and pickleball complex. It’s about community, opportunity, and legacy.

“Thank you for being part of this historic moment. The best is yet to come!!!”

The post Arthur Carrington Tennis & Pickleball Complex Opens in Elizabeth, NJ appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: US Open

US Open Qualifying
Flushing Meadows, New York
August 24-27, 2026
Surface: Hard Court
Prize Money: $7 Million

US Open Qualifying Best Value in Grand Slam Tennis
Fans can attend the entire US Open Qualifying tournament free of charge as part of the tournament’s Fan Week. Frenchman Arthur Gea is the top seed in the men’s qualifying draw. World No. 97 Polina Kudermertova is top seed in the women’s qualifying draw. Sixteen men and 16 women will emerge from the four days of qualifying competition having won three matches and with their name in the 128-person main draw. The 2026 Women’s and Men’s singles US Open Qualifying will begin Monday, August 24th, on ESPN2 and streaming on ESPN+ on the ESPN App, with all-day action from USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

US Open Qualifying Draw Results: Click Here

The post US Open Qualifying Draws and Schedule for Monday, August 24, 2026 appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: lululemon

Cincinnati Open
Cincinnati, Ohio
August 12-23, 2026
ATP Prize Money: $9,415,725; WTA Prize Money: $5,152,599
Surface: Hard Court

Stars Showdown in Cincinnati Prelude to US Open
Opportunity abounds as the Cincinnati Open celebrates 127 years. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 2025 champion Carlos Alcaraz are both out nursing injuries. Alexander Zverev is the top seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second, Novak Djokovic is the third seed and Daniil Medvedev is seeded fourth. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek is defending Cincinnati champion. Jasmine Paolini, the 2025 finalist, is out recovering from injury.  The Cincinnati tournament has come a long way from its humble roots, first played at the Avondale Athletic Club more than a century ago, to the grand-scale ATP Masters 1000 event held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center today. Past champions include such all-time greats as Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. In 2018, Djokovic triumphed in Cincinnati to become the first player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 crowns and complete the Career Golden Masters. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Cincinnati Results Click Here

The post Cincinnati Open Draws and Order of Play for Sunday, August 23, 2026 appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: USTA

The US Open Mixed Doubles field just got another major iconic infusion.

Reigning US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will join forces for the first time playing the US Open Mixed Doubles tournament on a wild card.

The US Open Mixed Doubles main draw, which begins Tuesday, August 25th, marks 44-year-old Serena Williams’ first US Open appearance since she fell to Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open.

Former world No. 1 Serena Williams, who partnered 46-year-old Venus Williams in a three-set Cincinnati Open opening-round doubles loss to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, has won six US Open singles championships, two US Open doubles crowns alongside Venus Williams and she partnered Max Mirnyi, now part of Aryna Sabalenka’s coaching team, to win the 1998 US Open Mixed Doubles title.

The 23-year-old Alcaraz, who has not played since injuring his right wrist defeating Otto Virtanen in his Barcelona Open opener in April, pulled out of Cincinnati last week. Alcaraz was defending Cincinnati champion, defeating Jannik Sinner, who retired from their 2025 Cincinnati Open final.

Overall, Alcaraz has posted a 22-3 record in 2026, winning titles at the Australian Open and in Doha.

Four-time Olympic gold-medal champion Williams and Alcaraz are joined by Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik and Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul as recipients of the final three wild card entries into the Mixed Doubles main draw.

The USTA also announced today these line-up changes:

The following Mixed Doubles transactions were also announced: 

• Following withdrawals by their previous teammates Jack Draper and Elena Rybakina, respectively, Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz have re-paired as a team and earned direct entry into the main draw, based on their August 17 combined singles ranking.
• The teams of Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev and Peyton Stearns and Christian Harrison received the two wild card entries into Monday’s eight-team Qualifying draw.
• Diana Shnaider, who was previously directly entered into the main draw with Daniil Medvedev, will have the opportunity to re-pair and retain direct entry by the time the draw is made mid-afternoon on Sunday. 
• Following the withdrawal of Jelena Ostapenko, Marcelo Arevalo re-paired with Kristina Mladenovic. That team retained direct entry into the Qualifying draw based on their combined doubles ranking. 

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The latest competitor field is below. 

2026 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship – Confirmed Teams

MAIN DRAW

DIRECT ENTRANTS

Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic

Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud

Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 

Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien

Diana Shnaider and TBA

WILD CARDS

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori

Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime

Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe

Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev

Elina Svitolina and Gael MonfilsSerena Williams and Carlos AlcarazJakub Mensik and Karolina Muchova

Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul

QUALIFIERS (2)

QUALIFYING 

DIRECT ENTRANTS*

Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten

Gabriela Dabrowski and Harri Heliövaara

Luisa Stefani and Neal Skupski

Aleksandra Krunic and Mate Pavic

Kristina Mladenovic and Marcelo Arevalo

Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 

WILD CARDS Mirra Andreeva and Andrey RublevPeyton Stearns and Christian Harrison

2026 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship Schedule and Format

Monday, August 24 – Qualifying (Eight teams competing for two entries)

Grandstand; 11 a.m. start (Free to attend with Fan Access Pass)

Tuesday, August 25 – First Round and Quarterfinals

Louis Armstrong Stadium; 10 a.m. start (Free to attend with Fan Access Pass)

Arthur Ashe Stadium; 11 a.m. start

Wednesday, August 26 – Semifinals and Final

Arthur Ashe Stadium; 7 p.m. start 

Scoring and match format: 

• Qualifying through the Semifinals: Best-of-three-set matches with sets to four games; no-ad scoring (tiebreak at four-all); 10-point tie-break in lieu of third set.
• Final: Best-of-three set match with sets to six games (tie-break at six-all); no-ad scoring; 10-point tie-break in lieu of third set. 

The post Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams to Partner for US Open Mixed Doubles appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: Rob Stone/@RobStoneTennis

Cincinnati Open
Cincinnati, Ohio
August 12-23, 2026
ATP Prize Money: $9,415,725; WTA Prize Money: $5,152,599
Surface: Hard Court

Stars Showdown in Cincinnati Prelude to US Open
Opportunity abounds as the Cincinnati Open celebrates 127 years. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 2025 champion Carlos Alcaraz are both out nursing injuries. Alexander Zverev is the top seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second, Novak Djokovic is the third seed and Daniil Medvedev is seeded fourth. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek is defending Cincinnati champion. Jasmine Paolini, the 2025 finalist, is out recovering from injury.  The Cincinnati tournament has come a long way from its humble roots, first played at the Avondale Athletic Club more than a century ago, to the grand-scale ATP Masters 1000 event held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center today. Past champions include such all-time greats as Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. In 2018, Djokovic triumphed in Cincinnati to become the first player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 crowns and complete the Career Golden Masters. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Cincinnati Results Click Here

The post Cincinnati Open Draws and Order of Play for Saturday, August 22, 2026 appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/ROLEX

We won’t see a Sincaraz Showdown in New York.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner officially withdrew from the US Open today.

Sinner has been battling a knee injury that forced him out of Montreal and Cincinnati.

“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” Sinner said in a statement. “We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realized that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue.

“I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart. I was very much looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there.”

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A post shared by Jannik Sinner (@janniksin)

The US Open main draw begins on Sunday, August 30th.

Eleven days ago, Sinner withdrew from the Cincinnati Open citing that right knee injury.

Sinner, who swept the 2024 Cincinnati and US Open championships in succession, is 13-1 in his last 14 Flushing Meadows matches.

The 24-year-old Italian has not played since his four-set win over Alexander Zverev in last month’s Wimbledon final as he nurses a nagging right knee issue.

Overall, Sinner has posted a 44-3 record and collected six tournament titles in 2026.

Sinner’s US Open withdrawal comes the day after reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz announced on social media he will defend his US Open championship in New York this month with a three-word video: “Here we go!”

“Carlos Alcaraz will return to the tour at the US Open after spending four months sidelined with a right wrist injury,” a statement posted on Alcaraz’s official Instagram said.

A dynamic Alcaraz dethroned defending champion Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to capture his second US Open championship and supplant Sinner as world No. 1 last September 7th. 

The Spanish shotmaker claimed his sixth career Grand Slam championship in New York, avenged his four-set defeat to Sinner in the Wimbledon final and collected a Grand Slam record $5 Million champion’s check.

The post Jannik Sinner Withdraws from US Open appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Editor’s Note: Happy Heavenly Birthday Ron! 
Today would have marked your 100 year on Earth and you would’ve been playing tennis! You would probably still be calling “in shots” out and “out shots” in. We were blessed to have spent 60 years together playing and watching tennis all over the world. Your buddy Max Mirnyi and family loved being your house guests and always enjoyed your support at matches. Your buddy Pancho Segura loved sharing naughty stories with you. Your buddy, Lew Hoad said you were always welcomed at his tennis club in Malaga for some tennis and pitcher of beer.  

All we can tell you is we hope you are playing on beautiful grass tennis courts in heaven and celebrating. 

Today tennis lost a club player but he had a specialty. Ron the drop shot king! He passed at 95 and a half. He played tennis very actively till he was 88. He loved tennis as much as he loved his daily salads, supplements, and his family (not always in that order). He was a trend setter with vitamins and health nut way before it was fashionable. He ate healthy except for some hot dogs from time to time. 

Ron played tennis almost every day of his life. He pulled off what he called the hole in one in tennis about once a year –  his favorite shot. A drop shot with so much backspin that it would go over the net and then come back over before the opponent could touch it. 

Ron’s second favorite shot was “serving fast” before you were ready. That’s true but a joke, I think that habit was caused by years of playing in indoor courts. Where everyone rushes around to get in every moment of play. 

The third favorite shot was being able to put the racket in his left hand (he was a righty ) to make the shot that was barely in reach. He would have loved to see J.J. Wolf’s left handed save down the line in Miami the other day. Which is  possibly the shot of the year! 

Ron had stopped playing because of balance issues but he sure had a good run. He lived  in Indian Wells, California. It wasn’t like having a Wimbledon address but it was pretty good. He would suffer through those daily 100 plus degrees Fahrenheit summer days to be ready to attend 21 sessions of the BNP Paribas Open where he was always credentialed as “players guest“.

He didn’t care that it was so hot, he even once fried an egg on the court. It was worth it for the number of days a year he could play tennis in the courts of Indian Wells, California. Grass was his favorite surface, followed by clay but hated hard courts. Specially the rough ones (too much sand built in) they are hard and wear out your  – joints, shoes, everything.  
Tennis is sort of a sport for a lifetime. It’s really tough on your joints. Lots of impact. As a family we all watched and played 60 years of tennis together – 

 Madison Square Garden , Forest Hills , Wimbledon, Queens Club, Orange Lawn Tennis,  Flushing Meadows, New Haven , Hall of Fame in Newport , Westchester Country club just to name a few. His biggest joy was his grandson Jason who had beautiful strokes and coached on the pro level. 

We will miss you. He passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones. Ron “Aced”  life. And/or you if you weren’t ready to receive. His motto, “short shorts rule.“ I’ll miss you pops. I’m glad your last hits were with me and we had a great session. We ALWAYS finished with a handshake.

The post Ron The King Of The Drop Shots Is Now Slicing and Dicing In Tennis Heaven appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: Wilson

Cincinnati Open
Cincinnati, Ohio
August 12-23, 2026
ATP Prize Money: $9,415,725; WTA Prize Money: $5,152,599
Surface: Hard Court

Stars Showdown in Cincinnati Prelude to US Open
Opportunity abounds as the Cincinnati Open celebrates 127 years. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 2025 champion Carlos Alcaraz are both out nursing injuries. Alexander Zverev is the top seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second, Novak Djokovic is the third seed and Daniil Medvedev is seeded fourth. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek is defending Cincinnati champion. Jasmine Paolini, the 2025 finalist, is out recovering from injury.  The Cincinnati tournament has come a long way from its humble roots, first played at the Avondale Athletic Club more than a century ago, to the grand-scale ATP Masters 1000 event held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center today. Past champions include such all-time greats as Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. In 2018, Djokovic triumphed in Cincinnati to become the first player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 crowns and complete the Career Golden Masters. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Cincinnati Results Click Here

The post Cincinnati Open Draws and Order of Play for Friday, August 21, 2026 appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: Rob Stone/@RobStoneTennis

Get ready New York.

Carlitos Time is coming to the US Open.

Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz announced on social media he will defend his US Open championship in New York this month with a three-word video: “Here we go!”

“Carlos Alcaraz will return to the tour at the US Open after spending four months sidelined with a right wrist injury,” a statement posted on Alcaraz’s official Instagram said today.

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The US Open main draw begins on Sunday, August 30th.

The 23-year-old Alcaraz, who has not played since injuring his right wrist defeating Otto Virtanen in his Barcelona Open opener in April, pulled out of Cincinnati last week. Alcaraz was defending Cincinnati champion, defeating Jannik Sinner, who retired from their 2025 Cincinnati Open final.

Overall, Alcaraz has posted a 22-3 record in 2026, winning titles at the Australian Open and in Doha.

While there were rumors Alcaraz, who partnered Emma Raducanu in the 2025 US Mixed Doubles tournament, could join forces with Serena Williams in a Flushing Meadows Mixed Doubles pairing, he did not mention Mixed Doubles in his announcement.

Slashing a serve winner on his third championship point, Alcaraz dropped to his knees and arose as world No. 1 again after winning the 2025 US Open on September 7th.

A dynamic Alcaraz dethroned defending champion Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to capture his second US Open championship and supplant Sinner as world No. 1. 

The Spanish shotmaker claimed his sixth career Grand Slam championship in New York, avenged his four-set defeat to Sinner in the Wimbledon final and collected a Grand Slam record $5 Million champion’s check.

The post Reigning Champion Carlos Alcaraz Will Play US Open appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: US Open/USTA

The 2026 US Open will present a major player raise.

The Flushing Meadows major will pay out $108 million in prize money, the largest player prize pool in pro tennis history.

The $108 million represents a 20 percent increase from the previous record set at the 2025 US Open ($90 million) – the second consecutive year of a 20 percent increase and a 44 percent increase in total compensation over two years.

The 2026 US Open singles champions will receive the largest Grand Slam pay check in history at $5.5 million. Players who contest the US Open singles first round will earn $140,000.

The compensation package also includes a new Player Support Program seeded with an initial $2 million commitment in 2026, equally split between men and women players.

“This is a significant first step in a multi-year investment in athletes as the US Open continues to be the best economic opportunity for players and the most valuable platform in tennis for players, fans and partners,” USTA CEO Craig Tiley said. “We are proud to deliver record-setting prize money and expanded player benefits as well as providing a new platform to work together with players.”

The question is: Will the prize money package satisfy players, including world No. 1 champions Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner, who have both called for Grand Slams to share a greater percentage of revenue with the players.

The US Open will become the first Grand Slam to establish a Player Support Program. As part of the total 2026 compensation, the US Open committed an initial $2 million, equally split between men and women players, which will be held in an escrow account pending the finalization of details of the new program, with guidance and input from the newly formed Grand Slam Player Council.

The USTA announced it is: “Designed to complement existing end-of-career pension funds, this new US Open program will bring a range of benefits for mid-career life events and retirement transitions. It will be built upon a simple definition of player eligibility without reliance on ranking tiers, making the program available to US Open main draw singles and doubles competitors.” 

Additionally, in a separate Grand Slam announcement today, the US Open joined the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, and Wimbledon to form a new Grand Slam Player Council to give players a voice in on-court and in-tournament issues. The Player Council will also provide recommendations to the US Open to guide how the new US Open Player Support Program will be deployed.

“The US Open has a long history of listening to players, and this player support program and Council builds on that commitment. We look forward to working directly with players to better understand the opportunities and challenges they face, and to continue finding meaningful ways to support them both on and off the court,” said Brian Vahaly, Chairman of the Board and President of the USTA. 

The post US Open to Pay Out Record $108 Million in Prize Money appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: Rob Stone/@RobStoneTennis

Winston-Salem will welcome a champion’s return next week.

Daniil Medvedev has accepted a wild card into the Winston-Salem Open.

World No. 7 Medvedev will return to Winston-Salem for the first time since capturing the tournament title in 2018.

“We’re thrilled to welcome former champion Daniil Medvedev back to Winston-Salem,” said Tournament Director Jeff Ryan. “He has gone on to accomplish so much since winning here in 2018, and having a former World No. 1 and Grand Slam champion joining our already strong player field is incredibly exciting for our fans.”

Medvedev won the 2018 Winston-Salem Open with a straight-sets victory over Steve Johnson in the final, earning the second ATP Tour title of his career.

Since his Winston-Salem title trip, Medvedev reached world No. 1, won the 2021 U.S. Open denying Novak Djokovic the calendar Grand Slam in the process, and reached a total of six Grand Slam finals.

The 30-year-old Medvedev has won 23 ATP Tour singles titles, including two in 2026 at Brisbane and Dubai. Medvedev fell to American Brandon Nakashima 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 1-6 in the Cincinnati Open third round.

Medvedev joins Stefanos Tsitsipas and Cruz Hewitt as wild cards in this year’s field, along with a number of top 50 players set to compete including World No. 20 Luciano Darderi and Wimbledon semi-finalist Arthur Fery.

View the full player field here, with remaining spots to be filled by one remaining wild card and winners of the Winston-Salem Open qualifying tournament.

The 2026 Winston-Salem Open will run from August 22-29. All Tickets & Packages are available now at winstonsalemopen.com/tickets.

The post Daniil Medvedev Awarded Winston-Salem Wild Card appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: Rob Stone/@RobStoneTennis

Cincinnati Open
Cincinnati, Ohio
August 12-23, 2026
ATP Prize Money: $9,415,725; WTA Prize Money: $5,152,599
Surface: Hard Court

Stars Showdown in Cincinnati Prelude to US Open
Opportunity abounds as the Cincinnati Open celebrates 127 years. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 2025 champion Carlos Alcaraz are both out nursing injuries. Alexander Zverev is the top seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second, Novak Djokovic is the third seed and Daniil Medvedev is seeded fourth. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek is defending Cincinnati champion. Jasmine Paolini, the 2025 finalist, is out recovering from injury.  The Cincinnati tournament has come a long way from its humble roots, first played at the Avondale Athletic Club more than a century ago, to the grand-scale ATP Masters 1000 event held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center today. Past champions include such all-time greats as Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. In 2018, Djokovic triumphed in Cincinnati to become the first player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 crowns and complete the Career Golden Masters. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Cincinnati Results Click Here

The post Cincinnati Open Draws and Order of Play for Thursday, August 20, 2026 appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: Rob Stone/@RobStoneTennis

Nick Kyrgios has been a caustic critic of players who fail drug tests.

Now, Kyrgios is one of them.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended since August 4th after testing positive for cocaine at the ATP grass-court tournament in Mallorca. Kyrgios submitted a urine sample on June 22nd. On July 17th, a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory confirmed the presence of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.

“Cocaine is a stimulant and substance of abuse on the WADA Prohibited List and is banned in competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme,” the ITIA said in a statement. “If taken out of competition, reduced sanctions apply for substances of abuse.

“Because of the nature of the substance, a provisional suspension is mandatory and has been in place since August 4, 2026.”

Read the ITIA’s full statement on Kyrgios’ case here.

The mercurial Kyrgios shared he tested positive for cocaine following a failed drug test in Spain in a social media post.

“I wanted you to hear this from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine,” Kyrgios said in a statement posted to his Instagram page.

“I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it.”

Though the 31-year-old Kyrgios had a reputation as a partyer in his younger years, he was known for frequenting bars and being a drinker.

The Good Trouble podcast host said he found trouble with cocaine after suffering a slew of injuries that “have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally.”

In a statement to Instagram Stories, Kyrgios apologized to his family, friends and fans.

“Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself,” Kyrgios in his post. “I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been.

“The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally.

“My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.

“I’ve always said I didn’t choose tennis – tennis chose me. But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone.”

Former world No. 13 Kyrgios has received mixed response on social media with some fans showing support, while others blasted Kyrgios as the ultimate hypocrite.

Kyrgios continuously ripped world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who claimed inadvertent contamination when he tested positive for the banned substance clostebol. Sinner later served a three-month suspension to settle WADA’s appeal of his case. Kyrgios was a harsh critic of Novak Djokovic during the COVID-19 era though the pair later settled their differences after squaring off in the 2022 Wimbledon final and have maintained a friendly relationship.

The post Nick Kyrgios Tests Positive for Cocaine, Provisionally Suspended appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Photo credit: Rob Stone/@RobStoneTennis

Cincinnati Open
Cincinnati, Ohio
August 12-23, 2026
ATP Prize Money: $9,415,725; WTA Prize Money: $5,152,599
Surface: Hard Court

Stars Showdown in Cincinnati Prelude to US Open
Opportunity abounds as the Cincinnati Open celebrates 127 years. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 2025 champion Carlos Alcaraz are both out nursing injuries. Alexander Zverev is the top seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second, Novak Djokovic is the third seed and Daniil Medvedev is seeded fourth. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek is defending Cincinnati champion. Jasmine Paolini, the 2025 finalist, is out recovering from injury.  The Cincinnati tournament has come a long way from its humble roots, first played at the Avondale Athletic Club more than a century ago, to the grand-scale ATP Masters 1000 event held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center today. Past champions include such all-time greats as Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. In 2018, Djokovic triumphed in Cincinnati to become the first player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 crowns and complete the Career Golden Masters. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Cincinnati Results Click Here

The post Cincinnati Open Draws and Order of Play for Wednesday, August 19, 2026 appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.