Landaluce gets revenge in Cincinnati and sinks Draper a little further
Both tennis players needed a victory like food. Since the end of June, neither had experienced the taste of winning, and it was Martín Landaluce who ended his nearly month-long slump by defeating Jack Draper 6-3, 7-5, after one hour and 57 minutes, thus advancing to the second round of the 2026 Cincinnati Masters 1000.
This was their first matchup, and during the first set, the Spaniard seemed a step above the Brit, who already mentioned in an interview with The Guardian, that he didn't recognize himself on the court due to injuries. However, Draper appeared to find his game in the second set, as he went up 5-2.
Jack Draper continues to struggle, while Martín Landaluce will face Matteo Arnaldi in the second round of Cincinnati
He had up to six set points to take the match to a deciding set. But it was evident that he still wasn’t the incisive and dominant Draper of last year. In fact, since going up 5-2, he did not win another game as he lost the next five to deepen his crisis.
Wild ride 🎢
Martin Landaluce snaps a six-match losing streak with a 6-3 7-5 win over Jack Draper at #CincyTennis. pic.twitter.com/Ux6SiVE6AP— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 13, 2026
This defeat doesn’t cost him points but represents another missed opportunity to gain match practice and climb the rankings. It marks three consecutive wild cards that haven’t served their purpose. He withdrew due to injury in Washington and has lost in the first rounds of Canada and Cincinnati. Time is running out for the 24-year-old.
Meanwhile, Martin Landaluce achieves his first victory on hard courts since his success last March in Miami. A win that allows him to repeat the second round he reached last year. He will seek, against Matteo Arnaldi, his first third round in Ohio, where he could meet Novak Djokovic.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Landaluce se desquita en Cincinnati y hunde un poco más a Draper