The stars of the ATP Tour are finishing up their preparations for the Cincinnati Open, which begins next week.
Several big names will return to the tour in Cincinnati, including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who skipped the Canadian Open, following their Wimbledon exploits.
Sinner and Alcaraz will be seeded first and second in Ohio, but will be challenged by the likes of Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Ben Shelton, who all reached the semifinals in Toronto.
The Cincinnati Open often throws up surprise results, as fans in attendance have become used to seeing lesser-known stars pick up big wins.
Back in 2022, the lowest-ranked champion in Masters 1000 history was crowned in Cincinnati, as the ATP world number 152 emerged victorious against all odds.
Borna Coric became the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion ever at the 2022 Cincinnati Open
Once ranked as high as 12th in the world, Croatia’s Borna Coric had fallen down the rankings in 2022, having undergone surgery on his shoulder in 2021.
His Masters 1000 results were poor during the early stages of the season, losing in the first round of five tournaments.
| Match | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 2022 Indian Wells – 1R | Alejandro Davidovich Fokina | Loss | 7-6, 0-6, 5-7 |
| 2022 Miami Open – 1R | Fernando Verdasco | Win | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2022 Miami Open – 2R | Alexander Zverev | Loss | 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 |
| 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters – 1R | Jannik Sinner | Loss | 3-6, 6-2, 3-6 |
| 2022 Madrid Open – 1R | Dusan Lajovic | Loss | 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 |
| 2022 Italian Open – 1R | Laslo Djere | Loss | 2-6, 7-6, 2-6 |
| 2022 Canadian Open – 1R | Marin Cilic | Loss | 3-6, 2-6 |
Traveling to Canada, expectations weren’t high for Coric, who held a 1-6 (14%) record at the Masters 1000 level in 2022.
However, using his protected ranking, the world number 152 quickly reminded fans why he was once a highly-rated prospect on the ATP Tour.
- 2022 Cincinnati Open 1R – Borna Coric defeated Lorenzo Musetti, 7-6, 6-3
- 2022 Cincinnati Open 2R – Borna Coric defeated [2] Rafael Nadal, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
- 2022 Cincinnati Open 3R – Borna Coric defeated [15] Roberto Bautista Agut, 6-2, 6-3
- 2022 Cincinnati Open QF – Borna Coric defeated [7] Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-4, 6-4
- 2022 Cincinnati Open SF – Borna Coric defeated [9] Cameron Norrie, 6-3, 6-4
Coric picked up more Masters 1000 wins en route to the 2022 Cincinnati Open final than he had in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined, taking his game to another level in Ohio.
Standing between Coric and a maiden Masters 1000 title was Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was searching for his second Masters title of the year, following his win in Monte-Carlo on the clay.
There wasn’t much separating the pair in the first set, as Coric and Tsitsipas headed to a tiebreaker.
It was there that Coric stormed ahead, clinching the first set 7-6 [7-0], moving himself within touching distance of the title.
Pushing on, Coric won the second set 6-2, as he won the biggest title of his career, taking down the number four seed in straight sets.
Winning the title as the world number 152, Coric became the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in tennis history, a record that stands to this day.
Delighted with his victory, Coric could hardly believe what he had just done during his post-match press conference.
“I have no words, to be honest. It’s just an unbelievable feeling,” he said.
“Like I said many times, I’m just going to enjoy this. I thought I could play well. I was training hard, and I knew I could play good tennis, but that I could play this level of tennis, I was just not aware.
“I’m just super happy, obviously.”
Coric rose to 29th in the rankings as a result of his win in Cincinnati, and enjoyed a strong season in 2023, winning eight matches at the Masters 1000 level, finishing the year ranked inside the top 40.
He hasn’t been able to maintain that level, however, as Coric has struggled for form on the ATP Tour in 2025.
Borna Coric hasn’t won a match on the ATP Tour in 2025
Coric has played the majority of his matches this year on the Challenger Tour, where he has picked up four titles.
| Tournament | Final opponent | Result | Score |
| Lugano, Switzerland | Raphael Collignon | Win | 6-3, 6-1 |
| Thionville, France | Arthur Bouquier | Win | 6-4, 6-4 |
| Zadar, Croatia | Valentin Royer | Win | 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
| Aix-en-Provence, France | Stan Wawrinka | Win | 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 |
His results on the ATP Tour haven’t been nearly as impressive, losing all four matches he’s played in 2025.
- 2025 Australian Open 1R – Borna Coric lost to Cristian Garin, 5-7, 1-6, 2-6
- 2025 Montpellier 1R – Borna Coric lost to Constant Lestienne, 3-6, 5-7
- 2025 Madrid Open 1R – Borna Coric lost to Matteo Arnaldi, 6-4, 4-6, 5-7
- 2025 Canadian Open 1R – Borna Coric lost to Matteo Gigante, 6-4, 2-6, 6-7
The Croat is now ranked 92nd on the ATP Tour, as he struggles to replicate the form that saw him lift a Masters 1000 title just three years ago.
Perhaps Coric will rediscover that form in Cincinnati, when he returns to Ohio for his first round match against Christopher O’Connell on Thursday, August 7.
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