The Cincinnati Open is back and bigger than ever for 2025, kicking off a new era in Mason, Ohio, with expanded draws, star power, and a few last-minute surprises. This year’s tournament, held on the newly renovated courts of the Lindner Family Tennis Center, has ballooned both its men’s and women’s singles fields from 56 to a whopping 96 players each. The action is already underway, spanning two weeks from August 7 to August 18, and fans are buzzing with anticipation—though not without a few curveballs thrown their way.
Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, both current world No. 1s, are back to try to repeat their 2024 triumphs. But the draw looks very different this time around, thanks to a mix of withdrawals and fresh faces. Most notably, Novak Djokovic, a perennial favorite and global tennis icon, has opted out to focus on the upcoming U.S. Open, leaving the men’s field wide open for contenders like Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz to make their mark. On the women’s side, Venus Williams and Coco Gauff headline a star-studded lineup, but the absence of two major names has left fans wondering what could have been.
Canadian Open finalists Victoria Mboko and Naomi Osaka both withdrew from the Cincinnati Open in a dramatic twist. Their decision came just hours after their epic showdown in Montreal, where 18-year-old Mboko clinched her first WTA 1000-level title in front of an ecstatic home crowd. The announcement, made on Friday, August 8, sent ripples through the tournament. Mboko, who has rocketed from outside the top 300 to a career-high No. 24 this year, cited a left wrist injury sustained during her semifinal run. She explained, "I just want to take care of my wrist a little bit right now, and I think it's just very close and sudden for me to go there and play again I think in, like, two days. I think I'm just going to sit out on that one and prepare for the upcoming tournaments." Osaka, who reached her first 1000-level final since 2022, withdrew for what the tournament described as a "change of schedule."
Their exits have already reshaped the early rounds in Cincinnati. Both players were unseeded but had earned performance byes into the second round after their Canadian Open heroics. With their withdrawal, two first-round matches were added to Friday’s schedule, featuring four lucky losers from qualifying. Cristina Bucsa and Yuan Yue stepped in for Mboko, and their winner will face No. 14 seed Diana Shnaider in the next round. Solana Sierra and Iva Jovic replaced Osaka, with the winner earning a shot at No. 20 seed Linda Noskova. For fans tracking rising stars, this shuffle could open the door for unexpected breakthroughs.
Despite their disappointment, both Mboko and Osaka have plenty to look forward to. Mboko’s meteoric rise—jumping more than 275 spots in the rankings in just eight months—has made her one of the sport’s most talked-about new faces. Osaka, meanwhile, is back to No. 25 in the world, her highest ranking since returning from maternity leave at the start of 2024. Both are expected to be seeded at the upcoming US Open, setting the stage for more drama just around the corner.
For fans eager to catch every serve and volley, the Cincinnati Open has made it easier than ever to tune in. Every moment airs live on Tennis Channel, with the early rounds also streaming for free on Tennis Channel 2 via platforms like Plex and Amazon Prime Video—even if you’re not a Prime subscriber. DirecTV is offering its Choice tier, which includes the Tennis Channel, at a discounted rate of $83 for the first month, and Plex provides a no-cost live feed of Tennis Channel 2. Whether you’re a die-hard tennis buff or just looking for a taste of the action, there’s no shortage of ways to watch.
The tournament’s expanded format means more tennis—and more opportunities for surprises. The daily schedule is packed, with matches running from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. most days. The first round began on August 7, and the finals are set for Monday, August 18. Tickets for opening day started at around $40, making it an accessible option for local fans eager to see the world’s best up close. The newly renovated Lindner Family Tennis Center is already drawing praise for its upgraded facilities and fan-friendly amenities.
As the first few days unfold, the storylines are coming fast and furious. Can Sinner and Sabalenka defend their titles against deeper, more unpredictable fields? Will Alcaraz or Zverev seize the moment left open by Djokovic’s absence? And which of the lucky losers or lower-ranked players will take advantage of the sudden openings in the women’s draw?
The tournament’s schedule is a tennis lover’s dream. From the first round through to the Round of 16, fans can watch on Tennis Channel 2, available on TennisChannel.com, the Tennis Channel App, and streaming services like Prime Video, Amazon Freevee, Plex, The Roku Channel, and Vizio Watch Free+. The action heats up as the week progresses, with ATP and WTA quarterfinals and semifinals spread across the weekend, leading to the men’s and women’s finals on August 18. All times are Eastern, so fans across the country can plan their viewing parties accordingly.
While the withdrawals of Mboko and Osaka are a blow to the tournament’s star power, they also highlight the grueling nature of the modern tennis calendar. The overlap between major events, especially with the expanded formats at the 1000-level tournaments, leaves little recovery time for top performers. Mboko’s decision to prioritize her health after a breakthrough win speaks to the growing emphasis on player well-being, even as the stakes rise higher each season.
For the rest of the field, the message is clear: opportunity knocks. With two of the hottest players on the tour out of the running, the draw is wide open for new stories to emerge. Will a dark horse make a deep run? Could a veteran like Venus Williams turn back the clock, or will a young gun like Coco Gauff electrify the home crowd?
As the 2025 Cincinnati Open charges ahead, all eyes are on Mason, Ohio. The expanded format, star-studded (if slightly shuffled) field, and fan-friendly broadcast options promise two weeks of world-class tennis and plenty of twists along the way. With the action just heating up and the finals still more than a week away, one thing’s for sure: the road to the US Open just got a whole lot more interesting.
