Second-round singles action continues in the 2025 Cincinnati tournament on Sunday, featuring the debuts of the second seeds in both the men’s and women’s draws. Carlos Alcaraz, who reached the final in 2023 but lost to Novak Djokovic, faces Damir Dzumhur. Alcaraz enters this match seeking to end a two-match losing streak at this event, having been previously upset in the same round last year by Gael Monfils. Their relationship extends back to the Roland Garros earlier this year, where Dzumhur managed to win a set against Alcaraz before the latter ultimately prevailed.
In women’s singles, Coco Gauff returns to defend the title she won in 2023. Despite a successful tournament last year, Gauff has been struggling with her serve recently, highlighted by her performance in Montreal last week, where she was upset by Victoria Mboko and accumulated a staggering 37 double faults across her matches. She will be pitted against Xinyu Wang, who has previously defeated her earlier this season in Berlin. Gauff holds a competitive record of 33-11 for the year, though her form dipped recently, standing at just 2-3 post-French Open. In their only prior meeting, Gauff won decisively, which may give her some confidence despite the recent setbacks.
Alcaraz, benefiting from a strong season of 48 wins against only 6 losses, is keen to bounce back after his recent defeat at Wimbledon to Jannik Sinner. Although Dzumhur, with a record of 18-17 this year, has only recently managed his first win at this tournament, he is a seasoned competitor and could potentially present a challenge, especially given Alcaraz’s recent inconsistencies.
Other notable matches on Sunday include Jasmine Paolini facing Maria Sakkari, Kimberly Birrell taking on Jessica Pegula, Ben Shelton competing against Camilo Ugo Carabelli, and Barbora Krejcikova clashing with Elina Svitolina. While these players have shown varying degrees of form, each matchup brings potential for exciting tennis as the tournament progresses.
As the matches commence at 11:00 AM local time, fans are eagerly anticipating whether Gauff can shake her recent performances and if Alcaraz can assert his dominance on the court once again. Overall, there is a sense of hope and excitement surrounding the possibilities in this prestigious tournament.