Just after midnight Wednesday morning at the Lindner Family Tennis Centre in Cincinnati, Carlos Alcaraz battled Jordan Thompson on centre court for a place in the third round of the Western & Southern Open.

Outside the stadium waiting at the players’ entrance was Nkeiru Green, a 46-year-old fan from New York who was hoping to meet Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian had lost his doubles match earlier in the evening. One of the perks of being a fan at the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 event is that fans have several opportunities to be close to their favourite stars.

“The intimacy of it, it’s not as vast as New York. And you get the chance to actually feel as though you’re much closer to the players, and you get to see all of them,” Green said. “So it’s hard to see that many stars in one location [elsewhere]. And like I said, the intimacy of it, and also the accessibility of it — it’s not so difficult to get here.”

At about 12:30 a.m., Auger-Aliassime walked out of the players’ lounge and was happy to meet Green, who has family in Cincinnati and has been attending the event every year it has been held in Mason since 2014. Throughout the day, passers-by will see dozens of fans like her camped out at the same player walkway to ask for autographs and selfies.

^{Nkeiru Green poses for a photo near the players’ entrance in Cincinnati.}
According to Western & Southern Open Tournament Director Todd Martin, the professionalisation of athletes and the tennis business in general have seen an evolution of the stars’ relationship with the community. But the Lindner Family Tennis Centre is designed to encourage plenty of interaction.

“Our property allows the fans still a closer look, and more opportunity to get an autograph or a picture. And so I think we can continue to upgrade the experience for the fan and for the player, create an even better experience for the player relative to the rest of the Tour,” Martin said. “The fan comes first and we just have to be more and more intentional about providing them access to the player, but appropriate access and access that the player is accustomed to: public interviews on stage, sponsor hospitality visits, autograph signings.

“It’s that level of structure that still has, at its core, a high level of player security and isolation without [the players] being in a bubble.”

Fans do not only get excited to see stars like Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, either. Throughout the grounds it is common to find crowds several people deep to watch practice regardless of who the player is.

Robin Haase was practising early in the tournament and was at the net working on his volleys. With onlookers just metres away, the Dutchman hit a volley into the net and joked with the crowd that he was supposed to hit over the net.

“I think in general for crowds to be able to look at practices, to be able to be that close at practice where they almost can catch a ball, I think that’s a great experience for them,” Haase said. “But also for players I think it’s a good thing because when the crowd is watching, you play a little bit differently, even in practice. So I think it’s a good thing, it helps both of us.”

Martin understands the player-fan relationship in Cincinnati well, having competed in the singles event 10 times. The former No. 4 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings also attended college in the same geographic region, at Nortwestern University.

“For me, it was the pinnacle of Midwest tennis, first of all. Two, it was an opportunity to bump into loads of people that I cared to bump into. And my friends and I turned it into a bit of a annual reunion. Probably shouldn’t forget that it was easier for my parents to get to and all that,” Martin said. “I came here in the early ‘90s for the first time. But even then, there was a distinct sense of intimacy, accessibility and community that pervaded through the property.”

The players have also been impressed with upgrades to the player areas this year. The players’ lounge was completely refreshed and some of the many games that have long been available to the athletes were moved to a newly furnished outdoor location to give the stars more space.

There was also new furniture added to a patio on the third floor, providing another space for competitors and their teams to relax, prepare for a match or unwind after one. On the same floor, there is also a special recovery room to support the players.

The efforts by tournament organisers were recognised by several athletes, including World No. 1 Alcaraz.

“A lot of things changed since last year,” the Spaniard said. “I think the tournament grew up a lot.”

Nineteen Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings. Nineteen wins for Novak Djokovic against Gael Monfils.

The Serbian extended his dominance in the matchup into historic territory on Thursday at the Western & Southern Open. Following his 6-3, 6-2 victory, Djokovic now owns the most wins without a defeat in any Lexus ATP Head2Head matchup — breaking a tie with Rafael Nadal, who is 18-0 against Richard Gasquet.

“It was kind of an evolution of both players over the past 15-plus years that we’ve been playing each other in different parts of the world, also in juniors,” Djokovic said of their history. “I think early on I struggled a lot with him, I think physically as well. When you play on of the most athletic guys on the Tour, you have to be ready, every ball comes back. A couple of points today, especially in the first set he showed his athleticism.”

After a second-set retirement by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina handed Djokovic a win in his first match on American soil since 2021, the World No. 2 played two solid sets to dismiss Monfils, dominating the baseline rallies in a one-hour, eight-minute victory. With victory in his first completed match since he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, Djokovic remains on course for a potential rematch with the World No. 1 Spaniard in the title round.

Now 17-1 on hard courts this season, Djokovic is seeking his third Cincinnati title. His first Western & Southern Open crown in 2018 earned him a Career Golden Masters, completing his box set of trophies at the ATP Masters 1000. He repeated as champion in 2020, when the event was held in New York.

Monfils, who reached the Toronto quarter-finals last week, was bidding to make back-to-back runs to that stage at Masters 1000s for the first time since 2016 (Indian Wells, Miami). The Frenchman was also denied a second Top 4 win in as many weeks, following his upset of Stefanos Tsitsipas in Toronto.

Djokovic took over on the Cincinnati centre court from 3-3 in the first set. The Serbian capitalised on a loose service game from Monfils to break at love for 5-3, then moved through the gears to win eight straight games and build a 5-0 lead in set two. Monfils claimed his first break point of the night to avoid a bagel second set, but Djokovic made no mistake on his second attempt to serve out the win.

“I just managed to hold my serve really comfortably. I think I was hitting the spots well, and just made him play,” said Djokovic, who stressed the importance of serving well in the quick Cincinnati conditions. “He made a few unforced errors at 4-3 in the first set to hand me the break. After that it was no looking back for me. I started to raise the level more and more, almost a flawless second set. I guess his game suits me. It’s nice to see him back. We haven’t played for quite a few years. It’s great to see him back playing at a high level.”

Next up for Djokovic will be home favourite Taylor Fritz, who advanced to the quarters when Laslo Djere retired while trailing 0-5 in their Thursday meeting. The American is through to his second straight Cincinnati quarter-final and his 12th overall this season, including eight on hard courts. He will bring a 31-8 hard-court record this season into his seventh Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Djokovic, who has won all six of their previous encounters.

Jamie Murray and Michael Venus booked their quarter-final ticket at the Western & Southern Open on Thursday after upsetting top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski.

Despite failing to convert any of their eight break point chances, Murray and Venus held their nerve to oust the Wimbledon champions 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 10-1. The British-Kiwi duo won 45 of their 49 first-serve points.

“I think that’s a big win for us,” Murray said. “This swing hasn’t been fantastic for us, but in doubles, any week can be your week. You just have to be ready with the scoring and everything and how it plays out. I think after Toronto we put a lot of good work in and it’s paid off so far. We’ve played two really good matches. That’s all we can ask for.”

Currently 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, Murray and Venus defeated Serbians Nikola Cacic and Novak Djokovic in the first round and will next aim to continue their run against wild cards Lorenzo Musetti and Lorenzo Sonego after the Italians beat Toronto champions Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-4, 7-6(5).

Home favourites Christopher Eubanks and Ben Shelton, who played each other in the singles first round, downed fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden 7-6(4), 2-6, 10-7. Sixth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin survived Max Purcell and Andrey Rublev 4-6, 6-3, 10-7.

Marcelo Melo and Alexander Zverev overcame Hubert Hurkacz and Mate Pavic 6-3, 7-5 after dropping just five points behind their first serve. Nikola Mektic and John Peers escaped seventh seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 7-5, 2-6, 13-11.

Winning mood 😃@BenShelton x @Chriseubanks96 #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/MztVagHC1x

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 17, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul added another intriguing chapter to their budding rivalry on Thursday at the Western & Southern Open, where the former prevailed 7-6(6), 6-7(0), 6-3 in a third-round thriller in Cincinnati.

Just seven days on from Paul’s victory against Alcaraz in the Toronto quarter-finals, the American once again proved a tough opponent for the World No. 1. Unlike in Canada, however, Alcaraz found a way past his foe in Ohio, holding his nerve in a rain-affected decider after letting slip three match points in the second set for a three-hour, 10 minute third-round triumph.

“It was a really tough match. We were playing a really close match before the rain came. But I think I did pretty well [dealing with] the wait in the gym, warming up,” said Spaniard, who spent over six hours on court to earn three-set wins against Jordan Thompson and Paul this week.

“I told everyone that I really wanted [to win], since I lost in Toronto. I came here in Cincinnati and I’m really happy with the level. I think I’m getting better and better. I’m really happy to be in the quarter-finals here.”

The skills of the 20-year-old Spaniard and Paul were tested by the blustery conditions on centre court at the ATP Masters 1000, contributing to inconsistency from both at times. It was Alcaraz who finished the stronger, however, as he expertly recovered from the disappointment of failing to win a point in the second-set tie-break to reach the quarter-finals and equal his personal-best run in Cincinnati from 2022.

Paul had fended off Alcaraz’s first three match points in a 12th game of the second set that featured nine deuces before forcing a decider, and a dramatic encounter took another twist in the third set when rain suspended play for approximately 90 minutes with Alcaraz just two games from victory when serving at 4-3, 15/15 with a break.

When play did restart, it only lasted four points before the rain returned. When the players stepped back on the court, Alcaraz soon brought up match point more than three hours after he was first on the cusp of victory, ultimately breaking Paul to seal the result.

With his win, Alcaraz levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Paul at 2-2. Now 51-5 for the season, his opponent in the last eight will be qualifier Max Purcell, who earlier defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2. Alcaraz is playing for more than just his fifth Masters 1000 crown this week — he needs to reach the final in Ohio to ensure he keeps his No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday.

Alcaraz is preparing for another tough match in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Purcell: “He’s playing great. He defeated a lot of great players, top players,” the World No. 1 said of the Aussie. “So I have to play my best against him. I don’t know him really well, so I have to watch some videos from his last matches and be ready for the quarter-final. It’s not going to be easy.”

Two Australians are through to their first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finals after Thursday wins at the Western & Southern Open.

Max Purcell, who qualified into his first ATP Masters 1000 singles main draw last week in Toronto, cut through the blistering form of Stan Wawrinka in a 6-4, 6-2 result. Earlier in the day, lucky loser Alexei Popyrin scored a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory against Emil Ruusuvuori.

The 25-year-old Purcell backed up the biggest win of his career — an upset of World No. 7 Casper Ruud on Wednesday — with another stunning result against three-time major champion Wawrinka. The Swiss played what he called the best match of his season to beat 10th seed Frances Tiafoe in the previous round, but he could not solve the chip-and-charge game of Purcell.

The Aussie qualifier saved both break points he faced and broke three times in a straightforward win to continue his charge up the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. This week he is up 23 places to No. 47, setting himself up to break into the Top 50 for the first time in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Purcell began the season at No. 220 and has won three ATP Challenger Tour titles on the year.

He will face World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz or home favourite Tommy Paul in Friday’s quarters. 

Wawrinka was bidding to become the oldest player in ATP Masters 1000 history (since 1990) to reach the quarter-finals. He was also seeking his fifth Cincinnati quarter-final showing and his first since 2018.

Second chance star 👏🤩

‘Lucky Loser’ @AlexeiPopyrin99 battles to a first ever Masters 1000 quarter-final 6-2 1-6 6-3 🆚 Ruusuvuori@CincyTennis | #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/QxqYNwq1Zp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 17, 2023

Popyrin, with his three-set win against Ruusuvuori, became the first lucky loser to reach the Cincinnati quarter-finals since Jeremy Chardy in 2012. The Aussie was a perfect three-for-three on break points in his Thursday victory.

Up 18 places this week to No. 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, Popyrin will next meet Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. He began the 2023 season at No. 120 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and won his second ATP Tour title last month in Umag, beating Wawrinka in the final.

Alexei Popyrin is showing in Cincinnati he is much more than lucky. A last-minute lucky loser into the main draw of the Western & Southern Open, he has taken full advantage by reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Popyrin booked a house for his team ahead of the tournament. However, because of how deep he has advanced, the Australian needed to shift to a hotel.

“I booked it until the 16th and didn’t think I would be here. I’d be off to Winston-Salem,” Popyrin told ATPTour.com. “It was all going to plan until I got into the main draw as a lucky loser. I had to move the next day after my first-round match to move into a hotel. We moved in yesterday and here we are today.”

The 24-year-old is up to a career-high No. 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings after beginning the year No. 120. ATPTour.com caught up with Popyrin before he plays Hubert Hurkacz for a spot in the semi-finals.

Alexei Popyrin on Thursday in Cincinnati.” />
^{Popyrin meets Cincinnati Reds star Jonathan India Thursday afternoon after his win over Ruusuvuori. Photo: ATP Tour.}
If you could have dinner with any three people, who would they be and why?
Damian Lillard, Tim Cahill and I would go Roger Federer. Damian Lillard is my favourite NBA player. He is one of my idols. I look up to him. I’m a big Portland Trailblazers fan, so he’s one of my favourite players.

I really look up to him. I love his game. I love how he is on the basketball court and how he is in the community, also. He’s been unbelievable in Portland.

If you could switch places with one person in the world for a day, who would it be?
Carlos Alcaraz. It’s everybody’s dream to be at the top of the world rankings. He’s at the top and I would love to see how it feels to be up there.

If tennis wasn’t your thing, what would you be doing right now?
I’d be in sports, that’s for sure. I played football, so tennis and soccer, when I was younger. I would try and make it as a professional footballer. I had some chances to go to Europe and play for European teams, but my parents kind of told me to stick with tennis.

If there was one cool thing you’ve gotten to do from being a pro tennis player, what would you say it is?
I think it’s meeting unbelievable people. I was thinking the other day how tennis is amazing with people from so many different countries, so many different people. They come together to one venue and they kind of get along. So for me, that I think is the most important thing.

What was your pinch-me moment on the ATP Tour?
I think when I won my first title [two years ago] in Singapore, that was an unbelievable feeling for me. The work I had done to win that first title is great. And then also to win a second title means that the first title wasn’t a fluke. So for me, that was great.

If you could achieve one thing — you were talking about No. 1 — what would it be?
I think I’d want to win a Grand Slam. That’s I think is everybody’s goal in tennis — to win a Grand Slam. That would be my No. 1 goal. Then obviously I think if you win a Grand Slam you have potential to be No. 1 in the world so that can come with it.