Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek have been officially confirmed as the top seeds in the upcoming Cincinnati Masters.
The Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati forms part of the doubleheader in the leadup to the US Open, and along with the Canadian Open, offers 1000 ranking points and a hefty paycheck for a week's work. Alcaraz and Swiatek will lead the two tours in Mason, Ohio.
Djokovic misses this week's tournament in Canada due to fatigue, but confirmed his presence in Cincinnati, signing up for the singles and doubles draw. The Serbian star is a two-time champion in Ohio, famously completing the Golden Masters feat back in 2018 when he defeated Roger Federer.
Alcaraz will look to cement his world No. 1 ranking before the US Open, as closest challenger Djokovic returns to the American hard courts this summer for the first time since 2021. Djokovic is the second seed, and the pair of them will be on opposite sides of the draw in Cincinnati and can only meet in the final.
The top 16 seeds will be at full strength next week, with Djokovic and the injured Karen Khachanov returning to action. The top 10 seeds will be the same as per current ATP rankings.
On the women's side, Swiatek will be joined by world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka who might usurp her in the race for the coveted top seed before the US Open. Last year's champion Caroline Garcia is the sixth seed but faces a massive dip in rankings if she cannot sustain her title defense next week.
Tunisia's Ons Jabeur gave Canada amiss due to injury but is expected to make the trip to Cincinnati. Two Czech left-handers - Petra Kvitova and Marketa Vondrousova - round off the top 10 seeds. Outside Garcia, Madison Keys is the other former champion who is seeded in the 64-player lineup.
2023 Cincinnati Masters Seeds:
| Men | Women |
|---|---|
| 1. Carlos Alcaraz | 1. Iga Swiatek |
| 2. Novak Djokovic | 2. Aryna Sabalenka |
| 3. Daniil Medvedev | 3. Jessica Pegula |
| 4. Stefanos Tsitsipas | 4. Elena Rybakina |
| 5. Casper Ruud | 5. Ons Jabeur |
| 6. Holger Rune | 6. Caroline Garcia |
| 7. Andrey Rublev | 7. Coco Gauff |
| 8. Jannik Sinner | 8. Maria Sakkari |
| 9. Taylor Fritz | 9. Petra Kvitova |
| 10. Fraces Tiafoe | 10. Marketa Vondrousova |
| 11. Karen Khachanov | 11. Barbora Krejcikova |
| 12. Felix Auger-Aliassime | 12. Beatriz Haddad Maia |
| 13. Cameron Norrie | 13. Belinda Bencic |
| 14. Tommy Paul | 14. Daria Kasatkina |
| 15. Borna Coric | 15. Madison Keys |
| 16. Alexander Zverev | 16. Veronika Kudermetova |
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