Cincinnati is filled with absences: these are the stars who will not play

Carlos Navarro | 5 Aug 2025 | 00.34

Djokovic will not be part of the event in Cincinnati. Here, in his last match in Ohio, the unforgettable final vs Alcaraz in 2023. Source: Getty

Streaming ATP Halle live tennis

🎾 Taylor Fritz vs Frances Tiafoe

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

The two-week Masters 1000 have arrived to stay on the ATP circuit... and, so far, they are having a disastrous effect on the pre-US Open North American tour events. Toronto was a complete disaster, with the absence of the three prominent faces of the ATP circuit and other top-10 players like Jack Draper, and ATP Cincinnati 2025 is heading down the same path: little recovery time for those who decided to play in the summer, the prospect of enduring up to fifteen stressful days for those who prioritize big tournaments, and several other reasons have turned the second Masters of the tour into a new nursery of absences.

It is undeniably a worrisome trend. Both for the viability of an ATP calendar that juggles while trying to turn the Masters 1000 into a kind of mini Grand Slams and, of course, for those tournaments that are adversely affected by it. Cincinnati is just one more example reaffirming that the change in the schedule has sidelined two tournaments, this one and Canada, which have lost momentum and status as preparation for the US Open.

DJOKOVIC, THE MAIN ABSENCE... BUT THERE'S MUCH MORE

The situation is not as catastrophic as in Canada, where with barely two weeks of rest post Wimbledon, the world's top two rackets decided to sit out. Jannik Sinner is already training at the revamped Ohio tournament facilities (note the impressive complex remodeling, putting it at the forefront of the category), and Carlos Alcaraz plans to travel to North American soil soon. However, Novak Djokovic will not be present, always a significant absence, perhaps a situation that wouldn't have occurred if the tournament lasted just one week.

The rushing schedule didn't align with the Serbian's preparation pace, as he opted not to cut short his vacations and chose the training route to prepare for the US Open. He's not the only notable absence: Jack Draper joins the list of top-10 absences and will miss a place that doesn't bring back good memories (remember his major controversy over the double bounce on match point against Aliassime last year). Alexander Bublik, committed after his clay-court double in just a couple of weeks, won't liven up the draw either, along with heavyweight names like Grigor Dimitrov (still recovering from the pectoral injury suffered at Wimbledon), Matteo Berrettini, Hubert Hurkacz, or Sebastian Korda.

Long-term injuries due to the demanding and ruthless pace of competition, absences caused by limited recovery time for those who played in the summer or top players choosing to prioritize a well-thought-out preparation over the daunting prospect of being at 100% for just one week before a Grand Slam. Regardless, Cincinnati is a new test demonstrating that this format doesn't work... and a hub of multiple absences that only devalues the beloved product.

Updated list of absences for ATP Cincinnati 2025