Jack Draper, Gael Monfils Crash Out as Cincinnati Open 2026 Begins with Chaos

The Cincinnati Open barely needed a settling-in period.

Its first day of 2026 main-draw action produced a painful collapse from Jack Draper, an emotional Cincinnati farewell for Gael Monfils, a strong opening statement from Denis Shapovalov, a three-set recovery from Cameron Norrie and a popular home victory for Caty McNally.

Martin Landaluce supplied the result with the greatest immediate consequences. The 20-year-old Spaniard defeated Draper 6-3, 7-5 after trailing 5-2 in the second set, saving six set points and winning five consecutive games to complete one of the more damaging losses of Draper’s difficult season.

Later, Rinky Hijikata came from a set down to beat Monfils 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, bringing the Frenchman’s 14th and final Cincinnati Open appearance to an emotional close.

On the women’s side, Cincinnati-area favorite McNally defeated fellow American McCartney Kessler 6-3, 6-4, while Katie Boulter, Diane Parry, Lois Boisson and Zeynep Sonmez were among the other players advancing.

The opening day followed The Sports Encounter’s Cincinnati Open tournament preview, which outlined a draw already transformed by injuries, withdrawals and the growing pressure of the approaching US Open.

Cincinnati Open Day 1: Key Results

ATP Men’s Singles

Winner	Opponent	Score
Martin Landaluce	Jack Draper	6-3, 7-5
Rinky Hijikata	Gael Monfils	2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3
Cameron Norrie	Dino Prizmic	3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Denis Shapovalov	Adrian Mannarino	6-1, 6-4
Thiago Agustin Tirante	Jan Choinski	7-6(9), 6-7(7), 7-6(4)
Jan-Lennard Struff	Roman Andres Burruchaga	7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3
Miomir Kecmanovic	Camilo Ugo Carabelli	6-3, 6-3
Mariano Navone	Raphael Collignon	6-3, 7-6(3)
Mattia Bellucci	Zachary Svajda	7-6(0), 7-6(4)
Terence Atmane	Marton Fucsovics	3-1, retired

WTA Women’s Singles

Winner	Opponent	Score
Caty McNally	McCartney Kessler	6-3, 6-4
Katie Boulter	Katie Volynets	7-5, 0-6, 6-4
Diane Parry	Caroline Dolehide	6-4, 7-6(7)
Zeynep Sonmez	Daria Kasatkina	2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3
Lois Boisson	Ashlyn Krueger	6-3, 6-2
Taylor Townsend	Camila Osorio	3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Magdalena Frech	Antonia Ruzic	6-2, 7-5
Elena-Gabriela Ruse	Magda Linette	6-0, 6-3
Tatjana Maria	Dayana Yastremska	6-1, 6-2
Cristina Bucsa	Panna Udvardy	6-2, 1-6, 7-5
Anhelina Kalinina	Darja Vidmanova	4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Simona Waltert	Petra Marcinko	5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Kamilla Rakhimova	Kimberly Birrell	6-2, 6-2

Jack Draper’s Season Reaches Another Painful Low

Draper’s defeat carried considerably more weight than a routine first-round loss.

The former world No. 4 entered Cincinnati trying to rebuild confidence after a long sequence of physical problems and interrupted comebacks. His ranking has fallen dramatically, his preparation for the US Open remains uncertain, and every hard-court match now matters.

Against Landaluce, the deeper problem appeared after Draper had seemingly put himself in position to force a deciding set.

He led 5-2 in the second set.

He held six set points.

He converted none of them.

Landaluce kept attacking, refused to abandon his aggressive baseline game and reeled off five straight games to win 7-5.

The Spaniard had already taken the opening set 6-3, but his ability to recover from a double break down was the real story. He converted five of 12 break-point opportunities across the match and ended a six-match tour-level losing streak.

For Landaluce, this was another reminder of why he has become one of Spain’s most closely watched young players. He has already reached Masters 1000 quarterfinals in Miami and Rome this season and entered Cincinnati high in the Next Gen ATP Race.

His reward is a second-round meeting with Matteo Arnaldi.

Draper’s situation is very different.

The British left-hander has been attempting to rediscover the level that once carried him into the world’s top four. Repeated injury problems have stripped away both match rhythm and ranking protection, leaving his US Open route increasingly complicated.

His Cincinnati defeat followed another difficult comeback appearance in Canada and means one of the most talented players of his generation will head toward New York with very little positive match evidence.

The result also removed one of the potential early obstacles from Novak Djokovic’s section of the draw. Our Cincinnati Open draw analysis had identified Draper as a possible third-round opponent for Djokovic, but that matchup is now gone.

Monfils Says Goodbye to Cincinnati

Some first-round defeats disappear quickly into tournament history.

Gael Monfils’ loss will be remembered differently.

The 41-year-old Frenchman is playing his final season, and Cincinnati marked another stop on a farewell tour through tournaments where his athleticism, improvisation and personality made him a fan favorite for more than two decades.

He started brilliantly against Hijikata.

Monfils took the opening set 6-2 and appeared capable of extending his Cincinnati career by at least another match.

Hijikata gradually changed the contest.

The Australian forced a second-set tiebreak, won it 7-5 and then pulled away in the deciding set to complete a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 comeback.

It was Monfils’ 14th and final appearance at the Cincinnati Open.

The tournament itself marked the occasion as a farewell, adding another emotional layer to a season in which every defeat potentially represents his final appearance at a particular event.

Cincinnati therefore lost one of its recognizable veterans on opening night, but the result also gave Hijikata a valuable Masters 1000 victory as he attempts to move deeper into the North American hard-court swing.

Cameron Norrie Recovers and Earns Alexander Zverev

Cameron Norrie’s opening match looked dangerous after Dino Prizmic took the first set 6-3.

The British left-hander responded emphatically.

Norrie raced through the second set 6-1, then handled a much tighter third set to win 6-4 and secure his first Cincinnati main-draw victory outside his memorable 2022 semifinal run.

The reward is considerably more difficult.

Norrie will face No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev in the second round.

Zverev arrives in Cincinnati after a volatile Canadian swing and remains one of the most important names in an ATP draw missing both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

The Sports Encounter followed Zverev’s turbulent Montreal campaign in our National Bank Open report on the major men’s upsets.

Norrie’s comeback therefore does more than keep him alive. It gives Cincinnati an immediate seeded matchup carrying real US Open preparation value for both men.

Shapovalov Makes One of Day 1’s Cleanest Statements

Denis Shapovalov needed far less drama.

The Canadian swept aside veteran Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 6-4 in just 85 minutes, producing one of the cleanest ATP performances of the opening day.

Shapovalov’s left-handed power repeatedly prevented Mannarino from settling into the flat, low-tempo exchanges he prefers.

The victory sets up a fascinating second-round meeting with Rafael Jodar, one of the young players who announced himself during the National Bank Open.

Jodar’s Canadian run was one of the defining stories of Montreal before Brandon Nakashima stopped him in the semifinals. That rise formed part of the youth-driven tournament narrative examined in The Sports Encounter’s National Bank Open semifinal analysis.

Shapovalov against Jodar now becomes an intriguing contrast between an established shot-maker still searching for sustained consistency and one of 2026’s fastest-rising younger players.

Tirante Wins the Match of the Day

Thiago Agustin Tirante and Jan Choinski produced the most statistically exhausting result of the ATP opening round.

All three sets required tiebreaks.

Tirante eventually prevailed 7-6(9), 6-7(7), 7-6(4) after two hours and 56 minutes.

Neither player found enough separation on serve to create a conventional breakaway, turning the match into a sequence of pressure points decided by fine margins.

Tirante’s reward is enormous.

He advances into Novak Djokovic’s path.

Djokovic returned to Cincinnati this week for the first time since his 2023 championship run, and the 39-year-old’s preparation has become one of the tournament’s central stories.

The Sports Encounter has been following that storyline closely, including our earlier examination of why Djokovic’s Cincinnati return matters for his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title.

Tirante now gets the opportunity to test Djokovic immediately.

McNally Gives Cincinnati Its Home Celebration

Caty McNally supplied the most popular result on the women’s side.

Playing close to home and in front of a crowd deeply familiar with her career, McNally defeated McCartney Kessler 6-3, 6-4.

The performance was controlled rather than spectacular. McNally kept enough pressure on Kessler’s serve to avoid allowing the match to become chaotic and closed both sets without requiring a deciding-set escape.

Her Cincinnati connection makes the victory especially meaningful.

McNally grew up around the tournament and entered the week as one of the local players organizers highlighted before main-draw play began.

She also arrived with useful confidence from the Canadian swing, where she had already shown that her game could trouble higher-ranked opponents. Her recent form featured in our National Bank Open coverage of the Toronto and Montreal upsets.

Cincinnati now has a home player carrying momentum into the second round.

Sonmez Removes Kasatkina After Three-Set Fight

Zeynep Sonmez produced one of the strongest WTA comebacks of Thursday.

After losing the opening set 6-2 to Daria Kasatkina, Sonmez survived a tight second-set tiebreak and then completed the turnaround 6-3 in the third.

The final score, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3, reflected a match that changed completely once Sonmez began preventing Kasatkina from controlling the pace and geometry of longer rallies.

Kasatkina’s elimination is one of the more notable women’s exits from the first day because many of the leading seeds had byes and had yet to enter the tournament.

Boulter Survives a Bizarre Three-Set Match

Katie Boulter’s 7-5, 0-6, 6-4 victory over Katie Volynets was one of the strangest scorelines of opening day.

Boulter edged a close first set, completely lost control of the second and then rebuilt herself quickly enough to win the decider.

The middle set could easily have pulled the match away from her psychologically.

Instead, she reset and secured her first Cincinnati main-draw victory.

Her next challenge is far more demanding, with Linda Noskova waiting in the second round.

Boisson and Parry Give France a Strong WTA Start

Lois Boisson defeated Ashlyn Krueger 6-3, 6-2 in one of Thursday’s most straightforward women’s matches.

Diane Parry joined her in the second round by defeating Caroline Dolehide 6-4, 7-6(7).

Parry had to work considerably harder, particularly in a second-set tiebreak that extended beyond the normal seven-point finishing threshold.

Both victories give France early representation in a women’s draw led by Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.

Ruse and Maria Deliver Two Dominant Wins

Two of the day’s most one-sided WTA scores came away from the biggest stadium headlines.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse dismantled Magda Linette 6-0, 6-3, while Tatjana Maria beat Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 6-2.

Neither match required a third set or a tiebreak.

For both winners, the efficiency matters in a tournament where the heat and physical demands can accumulate quickly across multiple rounds.

Townsend Turns Her Match Around

Taylor Townsend also had to recover from a poor start.

Camila Osorio took the opening set 6-3, but Townsend responded with consecutive 6-3 sets to advance 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Her variety, left-handed serve and willingness to move forward give her a different tactical profile from many players in the women’s draw, and the comeback ensured that Cincinnati will see more of it.

Day 1 Changed Djokovic’s Section Before He Even Played

Djokovic did not strike a competitive ball on Thursday, yet his section of the draw already changed.

Draper, initially viewed as a possible third-round threat, is gone.

Tirante survived a nearly three-hour battle and now moves directly into Djokovic’s path.

Landaluce advanced into another section of the draw, while Shapovalov and Norrie also kept dangerous unseeded names alive.

That matters because Djokovic’s Cincinnati campaign carries unusually high stakes.

He skipped the National Bank Open before returning here, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from both major North American warm-up events.

Sinner’s right-knee problem was analyzed in detail in The Sports Encounter’s report on his Cincinnati withdrawal.

Carlos Alcaraz is also absent while recovering from a wrist injury, a development examined in our analysis of Alcaraz’s Cincinnati withdrawal and US Open outlook.

The result is an unusually open Masters 1000 draw where players such as Djokovic, Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and recently crowned Montreal champion Ben Shelton have a clear opportunity to build momentum before New York.

The Women’s Heavyweights Are Still Waiting

Opening day belonged largely to unseeded players because most of the elite women’s names had yet to begin their campaigns.

Aryna Sabalenka leads the draw as world No. 1, with Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek among the major contenders.

Swiatek arrives immediately after winning the National Bank Open in Toronto, where she defeated Rybakina in the final.

The Sports Encounter covered that championship in our National Bank Open women’s final report.

The transition between Toronto and Cincinnati is particularly important because the schedule offers little recovery time before the final major of the year.

Players who went deep in Canada must manage fatigue. Those eliminated early have had more preparation time. Those returning from injuries need match repetitions without overloading themselves.

That tension will become more visible as the seeds begin entering the draw.

What Cincinnati Day 1 Told Us

The first day offered three immediate conclusions.

First, reputation will provide little protection in Cincinnati. Draper discovered that brutally, Kasatkina followed him out, and Monfils’ final appearance ended despite a dominant opening set.

Second, the younger men’s group continues to apply pressure. Landaluce’s win extends a pattern visible throughout the Canadian swing, where Shelton, Nakashima, Learner Tien and Rafael Jodar pushed younger players deeper into Masters 1000 contention.

That generational story was central to our National Bank Open quarterfinal wrap-up.

Third, Cincinnati has become inseparable from the US Open.

Draper’s ranking problem, Djokovic’s return, Sinner’s knee, Alcaraz’s wrist, Zverev’s form and the rapid turnaround for the Canadian finalists all connect directly to what happens in New York at the end of August.

For a wider look at the final Grand Slam of the season, readers can explore The Sports Encounter’s complete US Open 2026 preview.

What to Watch on Cincinnati Open Day 2

The second day brings considerably more star power.

Venus Williams is scheduled to begin her singles campaign, while former champions, established seeds and more recognizable ATP names enter the draw.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, Karen Khachanov, Grigor Dimitrov, Marin Cilic and other leading players are among those moving into action as the tournament expands beyond its opening-day field.

The deeper story, however, will remain the same.

Every match now carries two consequences.

Players are trying to survive Cincinnati, and they are simultaneously trying to decide what version of themselves they will take to New York.

Official schedules, draws and scores are available through the Cincinnati Open, ATP Tour and WTA Tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who beat Jack Draper at the 2026 Cincinnati Open?

Martin Landaluce defeated Jack Draper 6-3, 7-5 in the first round. Draper led 5-2 in the second set and had six set points before Landaluce won five consecutive games.

What happened to Gael Monfils in Cincinnati?

Rinky Hijikata defeated Monfils 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3. The match marked Monfils’ 14th and final Cincinnati Open appearance before his planned retirement at the end of the season.

Did Caty McNally win her Cincinnati Open first-round match?

Yes. McNally defeated fellow American McCartney Kessler 6-3, 6-4.

Who will Cameron Norrie play next?

Norrie will face top seed Alexander Zverev after defeating Dino Prizmic 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Who will Denis Shapovalov play in the second round?

Shapovalov will face Rafael Jodar after beating Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 6-4.

Who will Novak Djokovic play in his first Cincinnati match?

Thiago Agustin Tirante advanced into Djokovic’s path after defeating Jan Choinski in three tiebreak sets.

Is Jannik Sinner playing at the 2026 Cincinnati Open?

No. Sinner withdrew because of a right knee injury and is focusing on recovering in time for the US Open.

Is Carlos Alcaraz playing in Cincinnati?

No. Alcaraz withdrew while continuing his recovery from a wrist injury.

When does the 2026 Cincinnati Open end?

The combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournament runs through August 23 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.

The Sports Encounter’s tennis coverage follows Grand Slams, ATP and WTA tournaments, player performances, rankings, records, rivalries and the biggest stories shaping the sport.