The main draw of the Cincinnati Masters 2026 is officially underway, and the opening day of the Round of 64 delivered plenty of drama, solid performances from the top seeds, and a massive upset that shocked the fans in Ohio.
Upset of the Day: Baez Stuns Dimitrov
The biggest shock of the opening round was orchestrated by Argentina’s Sebastian Baez, who managed to eliminate the highly favored Grigor Dimitrov. Although the Bulgarian came out firing to take the first set 6-1, Baez showed incredible mental resilience. He completely shifted the momentum to claim a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory, sending one of the tournament’s heavyweights packing early.
🇺🇸🇬🇧 US & UK Focus: Michelsen Moves On, Heartbreak for Choinski
It was a mixed opening day for the local favorites and British contenders. American Alex Michelsen gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about, securing a rock-solid 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jesper de Jong to advance to the next round.
However, the rest of the day was filled with tight, heartbreaking losses for the US and UK contingents. J.J. Wolf fell to Australia’s James Duckworth (5-7, 6-7), while Zachary Svajda was edged out by Mattia Bellucci in a brutal double-tiebreak match (6-7, 6-7).
British fans witnessed an absolute marathon, but unfortunately, Jan Choinski fell just short against Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante, losing a grueling three-setter entirely decided by tiebreaks: 6-7, 7-6, 6-7.
Top Seeds Hold Firm: Tsitsipas and Hurkacz Advance
Unlike Dimitrov, other top seeds managed to avoid early exits. Stefanos Tsitsipas faced a tricky test against V. Royer but secured a straight-sets win (7-6, 7-5), showing his class in the crucial moments of both sets.
Meanwhile, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz had a much smoother path. He relied on his devastating serve to comfortably dispatch Japanese qualifier S. Shimabukuro with a 6-2, 6-4 victory, controlling the tempo from the very first point.
Other Notable Results (Round of 64)
- Denis Shapovalov looked sharp, dismantling veteran Adrian Mannarino in straight sets (6-1, 6-4).
- Matteo Berrettini had to fight back after dropping the first set, eventually overcoming qualifier Titouan Droguet (3-6, 6-1, 6-4).
- Pablo Carreno-Busta showed signs of his vintage form with a routine win over Tomas Machac (6-3, 6-2).
This is just the beginning of the action in Ohio! For the complete draw, daily schedules, and the latest updates, head over to our main Cincinnati Masters 2026 Hub.
