The 2026 Cincinnati Open has been rocked by a wave of withdrawals, with the total number of absentees reaching 17 across both the ATP and WTA draws as main draw action got underway at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
This year's event carries significant historical weight, marking the 125th edition of the men's tournament and the 98th for the women, but the star-studded absentee list has cast a shadow over the early rounds. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz both pulled out before the draw was even made, with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Mattia Bellucci stepping in as their respective replacements.
On the WTA side, Naomi Osaka withdrew the day before play began citing fatigue, while Karolina Muchova, Jasmine Paolini, and Emma Raducanu were also absent from the field. Victoria Mboko, Hailey Baptiste, and Jacqueline Cristian round out the women's withdrawals, leaving several lucky losers with unexpected opportunities.
The ATP list grew further once play began. Corentin Moutet and Tallon Griekspoor both withdrew before their opening-round matches. Moutet had been scheduled to face Hubert Hurkacz, with Sho Shimabukuro stepping in as replacement, while Griekspoor was replaced by Alexander Shevchenko ahead of a scheduled clash with Botic van de Zandschulp.
Other notable ATP absentees include Alexander Bublik, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Sebastian Korda, Ethan Quinn, and Holger Rune, who was replaced by Daniel Merida.
Despite the thinned field, competitive matches are still drawing attention heading into the business end of the tournament. TennisDraw users will want to revisit their bracket picks given how dramatically the draw has shifted from its original shape.
