The biggest story before the tournament has already been written. Jannik Sinner will not contend US Open title.

The Italian withdrew after suffering a right knee injury, ending his hopes of completing another deep run in New York and creating an enormous opening in the draw. Sinner’s absence is particularly significant because the hard courts of Flushing Meadows have become one of the defining stages of his career. Without him, the tournament loses the player who has dominated much of the recent Grand Slam landscape alongside Alcaraz.

It also means that, for the first time in years, the rest of the field enters a Grand Slam knowing that the most difficult obstacle is already gone. The opportunity is enormous.

The 22-year-old Frenchman defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 in Sunday’s final to claim the biggest title of his career and become the first French Masters 1000 champion since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto in 2014.

For a tournament that began without Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, and saw Novak Djokovic eliminated in the second round and Alexander Zverev in the fourth, Cincinnati could easily have become another Masters 1000 defined by the absence of the sport’s biggest names.

Instead, it became something much more interesting.

It became a tournament about the players waiting behind them.

Fils took the opportunity. Tiafoe came within one set of the biggest title of his career. Flavio Cobolli reached his first Masters 1000 semi-final, while Brandon Nakashima continued the momentum of his Montreal final run.

And with the US Open now just days away, the message from Cincinnati is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: the chasing pack is getting stronger.

Montreal was supposed to be Alexander Zverev’s opportunity. With Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic all missing, the German entered the Canadian Open as the highest-ranked player in the field and one of the clear favourites. Instead, he lost in his opening match.

That opened the door for Ben Shelton, who took full advantage. The American defeated Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4) in the final to become the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2019 to successfully defend the Canadian Open title. He also became only the fourth man this century to accomplish the feat, joining Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Even more impressive was the manner of the victory. Shelton won all six matches without dropping a set, becoming the first player since Djokovic in 2016 to win the Canadian Open without losing a set.

The title was his second Masters 1000 trophy and seventh ATP Tour title, while his four titles in 2026 have already made this the most successful season of his young career. Perhaps most importantly, Shelton looked like a player who had rediscovered his confidence.

After a difficult period that included early exits at Wimbledon and Roland Garros, Montreal provided the perfect response. The timing could hardly be better.

For the first time in several months, Alexander Zverev arrives at a Masters 1000 as the clear favourite.

The German has enjoyed the finest season of his career, highlighted by his breakthrough Grand Slam title at Roland Garros before reaching another major final at Wimbledon. His consistency across every surface has transformed him into the biggest challenger to Sinner’s position at the top of the ATP Tour.

Without Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic in the draw, much of the pressure naturally shifts onto the German.

His route through the opening rounds appears manageable, although the level of competition increases considerably as the tournament progresses. A potential fourth-round meeting with Francisco Cerúndolo and a possible quarter-final against Taylor Fritz could provide his first real examinations.

Zverev has always possessed one of the most complete games on hard courts.

His first serve remains among the most effective on tour, while his backhand is capable of dictating rallies against any opponent. If he maintains the level shown throughout the clay and grass seasons, he deserves to be considered the player everyone else must beat in Montreal.

Anything less than a semi-final appearance would represent a disappointment.

The championship match brought together two of the most consistent players of the season.

Sinner entered the final as the world No. 1 and defending champion, while Zverev arrived with renewed confidence after capturing the first Grand Slam title of his career at Roland Garros only weeks earlier.

The matchup represented more than a battle for a major title. It was also a meeting between two players who have shaped the ATP season, both arriving in London with realistic ambitions of finishing the year at the top of the rankings.

As expected, the final was defined by fine margins.

Zverev’s serve allowed him to remain competitive throughout the contest, while his backhand repeatedly forced Sinner into difficult positions from the baseline. The German demonstrated once again why many analysts consider him one of the most complete players in the game when performing at his best.

Yet whenever the momentum appeared to shift, Sinner responded.

That has become one of the defining characteristics of his game. Beyond the power, movement and technical improvements, the Italian now possesses the composure of a multiple Grand Slam champion.

The biggest moments no longer overwhelm him. Instead, they appear to elevate his level.

Whether facing break points, navigating pressure-filled service games or closing crucial sets, Sinner consistently produced his best tennis when the stakes were highest.

Over the course of the final, that difference proved decisive.

For the first time in his career, Sinner arrives at Wimbledon as the player every contender must beat.

The Italian has enjoyed one of the most impressive seasons of the modern era, capturing Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome before a disappointing Roland Garros campaign ended his momentum. Despite that setback, his position at the top of the ATP Rankings remains secure.

What makes Sinner particularly dangerous on grass is the evolution of his game over the last two seasons.

His serve has become one of the most effective weapons on Tour, his movement continues to improve and his ability to take the ball early allows him to dominate rallies on faster surfaces. Wimbledon was once viewed as a long-term objective; now it is a tournament where he enters as the leading contender.

A deep run would further cement his status as the dominant force of the current ATP landscape.

For decades, the Queen’s Club Championships have been considered one of the most important Wimbledon preparation events.

Many of the sport’s greatest grass-court players have lifted the trophy in London before going on to enjoy success at the All England Club. The conditions closely resemble those players will encounter at Wimbledon, rewarding aggressive tennis, strong serving and quick decision-making.

Because of its position in the calendar, Queen’s often attracts one of the strongest fields outside the Grand Slams and Masters 1000 tournaments.

A deep run in London frequently proves a reliable indicator of potential success two weeks later.

For years, Alexander Zverev had been one of the most accomplished players never to win a major.

Olympic champion, ATP Finals winner and multiple Masters 1000 champion, the German repeatedly placed himself among the elite without managing to cross the final barrier. Roland Garros 2026 changed that narrative.

In a dramatic final lasting more than four hours, Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 to capture the first Grand Slam title of his career. It was his fourth major final and, after painful defeats at the US Open, Australian Open and Roland Garros itself, his breakthrough moment finally arrived.

The victory also ended a wait of more than three decades for a German men’s Grand Slam champion, the first since Boris Becker won the Australian Open in 1996.

More importantly, it confirmed Zverev’s persistence. Few players have spent as many years knocking on the door of a major title before finally breaking through.

Few players have entered Roland Garros with the level of consistency currently surrounding Jannik Sinner.

The Italian has transformed himself from a hard-court specialist into the most complete player on the ATP Tour, adapting his game to every surface with remarkable speed. His clay season has been particularly impressive: titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome have confirmed not only technical growth, but also physical and mental evolution.

What stands out most is the variety now present in his game. Sinner still dominates through baseline aggression and clean ball-striking, but on clay he has added greater patience, improved defensive movement and the ability to manage long physical exchanges without losing intensity.

The numbers underline the scale of his dominance:

• multiple consecutive Masters 1000 titles;
• a winning streak extending deep into the clay season;
• victories across every Masters 1000 environment;
• the opportunity to complete a Career Grand Slam in Paris.

With Alcaraz absent, the pressure surrounding Sinner becomes even greater. Roland Garros is no longer simply an opportunity, it feels like his tournament to lose.

Winning the Italian Open carried significance beyond another trophy.

For Sinner, Rome represented the emotional and symbolic center of his clay season: a home tournament, overwhelming expectations and the pressure of arriving as the clear favorite after titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid.

Rather than slowing him down, that pressure appeared to sharpen his level.

Throughout the tournament, the Italian showed the complete evolution of his game on clay. His baseline intensity remained unmatched, but Rome also highlighted the patience and tactical maturity he has developed over the last two seasons. Longer rallies, defensive resilience and intelligent point construction became as important as his trademark power from the ground.

In the final, Sinner once again controlled the key moments with remarkable calm, absorbing pressure before progressively taking command of the match through consistency and depth from the baseline.

The title marks another defining achievement in what is becoming one of the strongest stretches ever seen at Masters 1000 level.