Jannik Sinner began his Cincinnati Open campaign with a hard-fought 6-4 7-5 win over Alex Michelsen, bouncing back from his injury scare at the Canadian Open last week.

Sinner fell to a quarter-final defeat to Andrey Rublev in Montreal last time out, appearing to struggle with a hip issue throughout that loss after missing the Paris Olympics due to a bout of tonsillitis. 

However, the Italian played down any concerns over his fitness ahead of his last-32 match in Cincinnati, where he was pushed all the way by Michelsen but held firm to advance.

Sinner had to save eight break points in one hour and 52 minutes on court, committing as many unforced errors (19) as his American opponent.

However, breaks in the very first game of the opener and the penultimate game of the second set proved decisive for the Australian Open winner, who will now face either Sebastian Baez or Jordan Thompson for a quarter-final place.

Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas bounced back from his first-round Canadian Open exit at the hands of Kei Nishikori, fighting from a set and a break down to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6 6-4 6-3.

Speaking after his win, Tsitsipas – who will face Jack Draper or Jaume Munar next – said: "I was down a break, and I managed to keep on fighting and get the break back. 

"Suddenly I felt like I was starting to figure out what really worked behind his serve. He made a few double faults, and I took that chance, got myself in the lead, and I think once I started reminding myself of my best qualities as a player, these things really started working."

Data Debrief: Sinner looking to stay perfect

Sinner's victory improved his record on hard courts to 25-2 for the season, and a first quarter-final berth at Cincinnati is now within his sights.

He has reached at least the last eight at all five ATP 1000 Masters tournaments he has played this year, though his only such title came in Miami in March.

Carlos Alcaraz said he will remember this summer "for the rest of his life" despite his defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics. 

Alcaraz, who has already won two grand slams at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, finished with a silver medal at the Games earlier this month. 

The Spaniard will take part in this week's Cincinnati Open where he will face either Gael Monfils or recent Canadian Open winner Alexei Popyrin in the second round. 

Alcaraz has the opportunity to claim a second US Open title in two weeks time, but had the chance to reflect on an incredible few months ahead of his first match in Ohio. 

“It has been some incredible months in my life and career after winning Roland-Garros, a tournament that I was very excited to win, and of course Wimbledon, which is wonderful to be able to win it,” Alcaraz told the ATP Tour.

“Also, one of my dreams was to win an Olympic medal. I have enjoyed a lot these last few months. They were incredible and I enjoyed it a lot.

“I am also very happy with my tennis and the way I handled different situations. I think I have improved a lot as a player, so I am very happy.

“Of course, in tennis the season is not over, and we have to carry on pushing our best in each tournament but, of course, I will remember these months [for] the rest of my life.”

Alcaraz also partnered up with fellow compatriot Rafael Nadal in the men's doubles at Roland-Garros during the Olympics in the French capital. 

The Spanish pair, dubbed 'Nadalcaraz' at the Games, lost in the quarter-finals to America's fourth-seeded duo Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in straight sets. 

And while his journey with the 22-time grand slam champion fell short of a medal, Alcaraz said it was a dream come true to play alongside one of his sporting heroes. 

“It was a great experience, talking with Rafa off the court, knowing each other much better off the court. It was a great experience, obviously, playing doubles together," Alcaraz said.

“It was something that I will never forget, for sure. I learned a lot talking to him on court, off the court as well.

“I think we played great tennis in doubles, even if we are not used to playing doubles very often.

“A little bit disappointing at the end, because we thought that we could do it better, but in general, we were happy.

“Obviously talking about myself, I reached my dream, my dream came true, playing doubles alongside Rafa.”

Jannik Sinner played down any injury concerns and said he was looking forward to starting his Cincinnati Open campaign this week.

Sinner fell to a quarter-final defeat to Andrey Rublev at the Canadian Open in Montreal and was seen holding his hip at various stages of the encounter.

Nevertheless, the world number one said his only real concern was returning to the intensity of matches after skipping the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis. 

"I feel quite good. Obviously, I made nearly one week without practising before, and then after playing for two-three days in a row, a bit more than usual, (that) could (have had) a potential impact to the hip," Sinner told reporters.

"But I'm not afraid. I feel good with the hip, and I'm just looking forward to going back on court here."

Sinner holds a poor record in Cincinatti, having never advanced to the quarter-finals, and was the victim of a shock loss to Dusan Lajovic in the round of 32 last year. 

However, the Italian is confident of a better run this time around, starting with an opening against either Tallon Griekspoor or Alex Michelsen. 

"Here usually I struggle a little bit to play because of the conditions but I'm looking forward to see my reaction this year, because it's a great test," said Sinner. 

The Australian Open champion believes a good tournament can act as a perfect platform for the final slam of the year in New York, which begins at the end of this month.

"I believe this tournament can give you a lot of confidence for the US Open, which is the last grand slam we have," Sinner said.  

"So in my mind, this is a very important tournament. "We go day by day. I have a couple of days to prepare and hopefully show some good tennis."

Alexei Popyrin declared his victory at the Canadian Open “means the world” after he defeated Andrey Rublev in straight sets to claim his maiden ATP 1000 title.

Popyrin won 6-2 6-4 to become the first player to win the Canadian Open title in their first main draw appearance in 17 years. The last player to do so was 24-time Grand Slam singles winner Novak Djokovic in 2003.

The 25-year-old defied the odds to beat favourite and world number six Rublev in his third defeat of a top-10 opponent in Montreal.

For the current world number 62, it was a sign that all the effort had been worth it.

"It means the world, for all the hard work I've put in over the years, all the sacrifices I have made," said Popyrin.

"Not just me, but my family, my girlfriend, my team, everybody around me. They have sacrificed their whole lives for me and for me to win this for them is just amazing."

The victory also makes Popyrin the first Australian to win a Masters 1000 since Lleyton Hewitt won Indian Wells in 2003.

He became the fourth-lowest ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion, just two weeks after being defeated by Alexander Zverev on clay courts in the round of 16 in the Olympics men’s singles.

Popyrin fared better against Rublev, who remained optimistic about his performance despite the upset.

“It's a very positive and really good week. [It’s a] really big step forward, and I feel proud of myself that I was able to be really good all the week mentally,” reflected Rublev.

“If we compare my match against him at Monte-Carlo when I was losing, I was behaving 10 times more, and it was first round.

“Here it was a final. Much more pressure. Yes, I still showed a bit emotions today, but compare the matches when I was losing the same way, I think I did much better job.

“That's why I had a little chance in the second set, but it was just not my time I guess.”

Alexei Popyrin overcame Andrey Rublev in straight sets to win his maiden ATP 1000 title at the Canadian Open.

Popyrin won 6-2 6-4 to complete a remarkable run in Montreal, becoming the fourth-lowest-ranked player to win an ATP 1000 title in the process.

The Australian saved the three break points he faced in set one and, despite dropping a game in the second set, immediately hit back to take the impetus away from Rublev, who had stunned world number one Jannik Sinner en route to the final.

It marked Popyrin's third victory over a top-10 opponent at the tournament, while he also snapped Sebastian Korda's eight-match winning streak in the semi-finals.

Data Debrief: Popyrin ends Aussie wait

Popyrin became the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt to win a Masters 1000 trophy.

That victory for Hewitt came at Indian Wells in 2003, when Popyrin was only three years old.

Andrey Rublev said reaching the Canadian Open was "worth the wait", while it also backed up his decision to skip the Paris Olympics.

Rublev made the call not to participate at Roland-Garros as he instead focused on readying himself for the North American swing.

And the Russian's US Open preparations stepped up another gear as he defeated Matteo Arnaldi 6-4 6-2 on Sunday to reach the final of the Canadian Open for the first time in his career.

Rublev had to overcome a rain delay in the process of defeating the Italian in Montreal.

"The wait has been worth it. I'm happy to be in my first Canadian final." Rublev said, as reported by the ATP's official website.

"I just want to recover, rest well and be ready for [the final].

"The idea [of not going to the Olympics] was to be more ready for Canada, so if I'm in the final it means we did really well."

Rublev will go up against someone who was competing at the Olympics when he faces Alexei Popyrin on Monday.

In his second match of the day, Popyrin ended Sebastian Korda's eight-match winning streak to prevail 7-6 (7-0) 6-3 and progress to the first ATP 1000 final of his career.

"It means the world, it's an amazing achievement for myself to be honest, and sometimes you have to pat yourself on the back," said Popyrin.

"I'll do that, but it's all hands on deck and back to work.

"It was a topsy-turvy first set with some breaks here and there. I had some points at 5-4 but played some sloppy points and didn't convert.

"I just stayed mentally strong and I knew exactly what I was going to do on my next break point if I got an opportunity."

Popyrin (62) is the lowest-ranked player to reach the final of the Canadian Open in the men's singles since Harel Levy, a qualifier, in 2000.

Sebastian Korda booked his place in the semi-finals of the Canadian Open after knocking out number two seed Alexander Zverev in three sets.

The American egded the entertaining clash in a third-set decider, eventually emerging a 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 6-4 victor in two hours and 19 minutes on Court Central. 

Zverev started the encounter in Toronto on the front foot, earning a break of serve in the second game as he raced into a 3-0 lead early on. 

However, his American opponent would fight back, winning three games in row to level the scores, maintaining his momentum to triumph in a first-set tiebreak. 

But Zverev would respond emphatically, however, cruising through the second set without breaking a sweat to take the pairs first ever encounter the distance. 

Korda and Zverev would hold their respective serve, but the German would be the first to blink, losing the ninth game on serve to hand his opponent the advantage. 

And the American would grasp the opportunity with both hands, ending the encounter with a fierce serve as Zverev sent the ball high and and long. 

Korda will face the winner of Hubert Hurkacz and Alexei Popyrin for a place in Monday's final. 

Data Debrief: Korda continues impressive run

Korda can't stop winning at the moment, with his success in Toronto making it the fouth consecutive semi-final he has reached in as many events. 

The world number 18 won 11 of his 15 service games, also saving five of the nine break points he faced in Toronto. 

Andrey Rublev pulled off a shock in the Canadian Open quarter-final, knocking out an ailing Jannik Sinner in three sets.

The world number one pulled out of the Olympics due to illness and appeared to be struggling with a recurring hip injury as he was beaten 6-3 1-6 6-2 in Montreal on Saturday.

In a rain-hit match, Rublev took the first set before Sinner rallied to force a decider but he could not retain his momentum as the Russian snapped his eight-match winning streak on hard courts.

"It was a really great match of mine. I was playing really well today, and I'm happy that I was able to win," Rublev said.

"I don't know, not much to say, because I still, for the moment, really don't understand what's happening, because Jannik is an amazing player and he's playing unbelievable for the past two years.

"I was just hoping that I would be able to fight with him, to show great tennis. In the end, I think we had a lot of great rallies, a lot of long rallies.

"To be able to win this kind of match, of course, it's always special. I needed those matches, especially after some bad moments this year. So, of course I'm happy."

Since the start of the 2020 season, Rublev is now one of four players to defeat the ATP's number one on multiple surfaces, along with Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev prevailed in straight sets against Rune earlier on Saturday to reach the last eight with a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) win.

Excluding team events, Zverev is now in an 11th ATP-level quarter-final in 2024. It is the most of any player this season, while the German (11) is one of just two to reach 10+ ATP event QFs this year, along with Sinner (10).

Canadian Open champion Jannik Sinner advanced to the quarter-finals in Montreal with a straight-sets victory over Chile's Alejandro Tabilo.

The world number one made a slow start but found his feet midway through the opening set, getting the decisive break in the seventh game to inch ahead.

Tabilo only won one of 12 points on Sinner's first serve throughout the first set and saw his own serve broken again early in the second as Sinner eased to a 6-4 6-3 win.

Due to rain cancelling Friday's play, Sinner is on double duty on Saturday, with the Italian set to return to the court to face Andrey Rublev in the last eight at 7pm local time.

Data Debrief: Sinner joins exclusive club

Sinner's victory means he has reached at least the last eight at each of his first 10 ATP events of the season.

He is the first player to achieve that feat since Novak Djokovic in 2015, and the youngest – at 22 years and 358 days old – since Ivan Lendl in 1982.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has slammed his father's coaching style after suffering a shock straight-sets defeat at the Canadian Open on Thursday.

The 25-year-old was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Kei Nishikori, the world number 576, as he secured the scalp of the tournament so far in Montreal.

It follows a disappointing Olympic Games for Tsitsipas, who was knocked out by eventual winner Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

He also struggled at Wimbledon last month, suffering defeat to Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round.

Now, he has hit out at his coach and father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, who he asked to leave midway through Thursday's match, for seemingly not reaching the standards he is looking for.

"I need, and I deserve, a coach that listens to me and hears my feedback as a player," Tsitsipas said.

"My father hasn't been very smart or very good at handling those situations. It's not the first time he has done that. I'm really disappointed at him.

"I really don't know right now if I'd consider any changes, but I'm really disappointed.

"The most important thing for a player is to have direct and good feedback from a coach. The coach is not the one holding a racket. The player is the one trying to execute a game plan.

"It's a collaborative work that you put in together. It has to be reciprocal in order for me to try to develop my tennis. It's something I don't want to get stuck at that."

Jannik Sinner began his defence of the Canadian Open title with a routine 6-2 6-4 victory over Borna Coric in Montreal.

Sinner, who won his first ATP Masters 1000 crown at the 2023 event and has since won the Miami Open and his first grand slam at this year's Australian Open, was victorious within one hour and 37 minutes at the Omnium Banque National presente par Rogers.

The Italian, who missed the Paris Olympic Games with tonsillitis, showed no signs of rust on his first hard-court outing since his Miami triumph in March.

He stuck the ball sweetly from the off and only dropped four points behind his own first serve, with breaks in the third games of both sets putting him on course for victory.

He will face 15th seed Alejandro Tabilo or Lorenzo Sonego in the last 16 as he prepares for a potential title tilt at the US Open.

Speaking after his win, Sinner said: "I've been here for a little bit so I'm maybe a bit more used to the conditions, but still, I'm very happy about the performance.

"It was a very tough match. Even if you watched the score, it felt closer for sure. 

"I had to save a break point in the second set and if he makes that one it could potentially change the match. It was a very good mindset today and I'll try to keep going."

Data Debrief: Forty and counting for Sinner

Sinner's victory, coming at the age of 22 years and 357 days, made him the youngest player to achieve 40 successive wins against players ranked outside the ATP's top 20 since Rafael Nadal, who completed that feat aged 22 years and 285 days at Indian Wells in 2009.

Daniil Medvedev suffered a rare hard-court loss to an opponent outside the world's top 20 as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina sent him crashing out of the Canadian Open in the last 32.

Third seed Medvedev was beaten 6-4 1-6 6-2 by world number 43 Davidovich Fokina, the Spaniard coming through a one-hour, 56-minute contest in Montreal.

Davidovich Fokina, who reached the semi-finals of the tournament in 2023, will now face either Karen Khachanov or Matteo Arnaldi for a place in the quarter-finals.

It was only Medvedev's third hard-court defeat to an opponent ranked outside the ATP's top 20 since the start of 2023, with the others both coming against Sebastian Korda.

Medvedev was not the only player to be on the receiving end of an upset on Thursday, as Japan's Kei Nishikori beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-4 for his first top-20 win since 2021.

However, things were far more comfortable for world number four Alexander Zverev, who crushed Jordan Thompson by a 6-1 6-1 scoreline to reach the third round.

Zverev won a huge 95% (18/19) of points behind his first serve, also slamming 20 winners past Thompson, who had previously led the duo's head-to-head series 2-1.

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the US Open, claiming he would be unable to give 100% effort should he participate.

Nadal, who played in both the singles and doubles at the Paris Olympics, skipped Wimbledon earlier this year in order to feature at Roland-Garros.

However, after losing to Novak Djokovic in the singles and then failing to reach the medal matches alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles, Nadal has elected to miss this season's final major and instead ready himself for the Laver Cup, which will take place in September.

It means the 38-year-old, who has triumphed four times at Flushing Meadows, may well have featured at the last major of his extraordinary career.

In a post on social media, Nadal wrote: "I have decided not to compete at this year’s US Open a place where I have amazing memories.

"I will miss those electric and special night sessions in NYC at Ashe, but I don't think I would be able to give my 100% this time.

"Thanks to all my US fans in particular, will miss you all and will see you another time.

"Best of luck to all for the always amazing US Open! My next event will be the Laver Cup in Berlin."

Holger Rune made a strong start at the Montreal Open as he defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2 3-6 6-2.

Rune, who withdrew from the Olympics due to a wrist injury, had been set to face Milos Raonic in the first round.

However, Raonic withdrew just moments before the match was due to start, so lucky loser Bautista Agut filled in.

It left Rune having to swiftly adapt to a new opponent, but despite a wobble in the second set, the Dane was generally in control throughout Tuesday's contest.

"It was a challenge for sure," Rune said. "It's never easy coming back after a little break — not the longest break, but for me, I'm very young and luckily I haven't been injured much. It was difficult but I think I managed to find the rhythm quickly.

"It was kind of tricky. It's two completely different game styles. I kind of had to adjust from one tactic to another in five minutes. Luckily, I played Bautista before so I had a clue, and obviously he's been on Tour for many years, so I know him very well.

"It was not easy. I was expecting a big server and trying to manage to get in the rallies with Milos, and now it was a completely different story. I needed to attack much more and play on my terms."

Next up for Rune, who has won 13 of his 15 opening-round matches this season, is a tie against Pablo Carreno Busta.

Data Debrief: Scandi style

Since the format’s inception in 1990, world number 17 Rune is now the fourth Scandinavian player to claim 30+ wins from an opening 50 ATP Masters 1000 matches.

He joins Stefan Edberg (41), Magnus Gustafsson (32) and Casper Ruud (31) on that list.

Sebastian Korda triumphed at the Washington Open, replicating the success of his father from 1992.

Korda, who comes from a hugely successful sporting family, came from a set down to beat Flavio Cobolli 4-6 6-2 6-0 on Sunday.

In the process, Korda and Petr became the first father-son duo to win the same title in the history of the ATP Tour.

"I've been coming to this tournament since I was a teenager. We [the Korda family] have a lot of history with this tournament," the 24-year-old said.

"One of my biggest goals was one day coming here and hopefully winning the tournament and putting my name up there on the stadium.

"This is probably the most special moment of my career so far."

Korda's victory sees him rise up to world number 18 and marks the second Tour-level title of his career, after he triumphed in Parma in 2021.