Cincinnati buys into the madness: Zverev falls... and who will be the new finalist of the Masters 1000?

Carlos Navarro - 20 Aug 2026 | 01:35
Alexander Zverev Tommy Paul Arthur Fils ATP ATP Cincinnati 2026 Masters 1000

The German succumbed to Tommy Paul despite having a match point in his favor... and a new Masters 1000 adds to the absolute unpredictability. Who will advance to the final?

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Zverev fell in Cincinnati... and chaos takes over the circuit.

Men's tennis is experiencing a time of change. Of regeneration. Of classics at the top losing ground against the push of new generations and new times, of players who are not afraid of those who previously reigned and threaten to break the status quo. These modifications are clearly accelerated if injuries strike the great dominators: without Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the Masters 1000 open up like a melon... and Alexander Zverev, the most consistent and the supposed heir to the throne of these major events, is not protecting the throne on the North American hard court tour.

The ATP Cincinnati 2026 was a perfect opportunity for the German, with more room for rest after his demanding months of May and June (champion at Roland Garros and finalist at Wimbledon), to impose his hierarchy and confirm that, with the two great kings of the circuit sidelined, he is the one on whom all eyes should be focused. His consistency and regularity in 2026 are beyond question, but perhaps the central part of the year has left Sascha with less energy and motivation than we thought... which leaves an entirely open landscape in the circuit heading into upcoming tournaments.

Without Zverev, there will be a new Masters 1000 finalist in Cincinnati: who will achieve it?

The German had a match point in his duel against Tommy Paul, but the American, who needed to reaffirm himself in the elite with such a victory, faced the danger and ended up signing a remarkable comeback to advance to the quarterfinals in the upper part of the draw. The new calendar, with Canada and Cincinnati mixed like a sandwich in a very short span of three weeks, has further opened the door for supporting actors to realize that their moment may be approaching... and in a circuit with so many alternatives beyond the top four players, Canada was the prologue to what was to come.

If we embraced chaos in the previous Masters 1000, Cincinnati gives us another demonstration of what the circuit looks like if Jannik and Carlos do not dominate. We will have a new Masters 1000 finalist from the upper part of the draw, a phrase we have been repeating quite frequently in recent months that will again become a reality in Ohio. Tommy Paul will face Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals, a clash between two players capable of inventing any possible shot, profiles that pull out magic tricks and utilize all four corners of the court.

It will be a match that will delight the spectator, while in the other quarterfinal clash of the upper half, 21st-century tennis will make a clear appearance. Arthur Fils (easily disposed of an Alex de Miñaur who continues to lack confidence against the best this season) faces Thiago Tirante (already more than just a revelation: he showed guts to come back against Jakub Mensik, as if he were a veteran in these battles), two profiles looking to smash the ball with their forehand and overpower their opponents with sheer firepower, versatile enough to adapt their tennis to both clay (more weight) and hard courts (more speed).

One of these four names will be the new Masters 1000 finalist, yet another event in which the circuit is unleashing a regeneration that is not going unnoticed. Something similar happened in 2022, with Djokovic limited in tournaments due to his COVID passport, Zverev and Medvedev in a downward spiral, and Rafa Nadal close to entering the final phase of his career. At that moment, a monster emerged, still young but with the potential to become a legend, named Carlos Alcaraz: the US Open seems still too soon for many names, but while we await decisions from the Italian and the Spaniard, Cincinnati serves as a reminder: the ATP circuit is ablaze... and anything can happen. Who will take the prize in Cincinnati?

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Cincinnati se abona a la locura: cae Zverev... ¿y quién será el nuevo finalista de Masters 1000?