Tennis is back after hard months of lethargy with him Cincinnati Masters 1,000 (August 22 to 28). The American tournament will kick off the North American tour as preparation for the US Open (from August 31), and because of the pandemic it will be held in New York, so the adaptation from one tournament to another will be more immediate than ever. The negative part is found in the list of participants, since only nine tennis players in the final draw know what it is to win a Masters 1,000, the lowest figure in recent times along with last year.
Favorites
Among the top favorites, one name stands out above the rest. And that cannot be other than the number 1 in the world: Novak Djokovic. The Serbian was seen for weeks training on hard court at the academy of his friend Janko Tipsarevic, so he has prepared the tournament thoroughly and knows what is at stake. With the absence of some great rivals, Nole you can take advantage of that Clearer box to accumulate less wear between games and score good points that they consolidate you even more at the top of the ranking.
Starting from Serbian, a wide and varied range of possibilities opens up, without a too strong candidate. Among the highlights is Dominic Thiem, who apparently during the confinement has not relaxed in the least with a brutal discipline in training. Daniil Medvedev, current champion of the tournament, will also have a lot to say. Zverev, Tsitsipas, Khachanov and Berrettini they are other secondary ones to consider.
Absences
The most significant absence, without a doubt, is that of Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard completely resigned from the American tour due to the critical situation that the United States is going through due to the pandemic, so he will not add any points (nor will he lose) or defend his title at the Grand Slam in New York. The second most important loss is that of Roger Federer, although for very different reasons. The Swiss said goodbye to the season after undergoing a second knee operation several months ago, so he will continue his recovery to return to the slopes in 2021 and conclude his career after the Tokyo Olympics with maximum guarantees. Grigor Dimitrov won't be in Cincinnati either.
Female painting
If it is already difficult to make predictions in women's tennis, imagine in the current context, with more than five months without competitions. As in the male box, the absences are significant. The first classified of the WTA ranking recently announced their resignation from the American tour, so neither Ashleigh Barty nor Simona Halep will be at the Cincinnati Masters. As for the Spanish, it will not be Garbiñe Muguruza due to ankle discomfort, or Carla Suárez, due to a medical condition. So things, players like Pliskova, Kenin, Serena Williams and Osaka They start as favorites, without forgetting Madison Keys, current champion.