Jannik Sinner will do something he’s never previously done in his tennis career at the Cincinnati Open.
Sinner won the event in 2024, and he began his title defence with a dominant straight sets victory over Daniel Elahi Galán.
The Cincinnati Open is the first tournament the Italian is playing since defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
Fans think Sinner has a more favourable draw in Cincinnati than Alcaraz, but the World No. 1 will have to do something he’s never previously done at the tournament.
Jannik Sinner will play Gabriel Diallo for the first time at the Cincinnati Open
Despite fans believing Sinner has a simple draw to retain his Cincinnati Open title, the Italian will have to do something he’s never done at the event.
Sinner has been drawn against Gabriel Diallo in the third round of the tournament, a player he’s never previously met on the ATP Tour.
Diallo is currently ranked World No. 35, which is a career high for the Canadian after he won his first tour title at the Libema Open in June 2025.
It’s perhaps a surprise that Sinner has never met Diallo in a match, although the Canadian’s poor performances at Grand Slams could be the reason for that.
Diallo has failed to make it past the second round at any Grand Slam in 2025, with his best-ever performance coming at the third round of the US Open in 2024.
Jannik Sinner’s projected Cincinnati Open draw
Sinner’s first-time-ever meeting with Diallo at the Cincinnati Open will likely be followed up with a fourth-round clash against Tommy Paul.
Next could be a trio of current and former top 10 players, with Casper Ruud, Lorenzo Musetti, and Stefanos Tsitsipas lined up.
Taking into account current form, it’s likely Sinner will be playing Ruud in the quarter-final, with a semi-final against Taylor Fritz.
Another final clash with Alcaraz looks set in Cincinnati as the two best players in the world look for the best possible preparation for the US Open.