Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant 2025 season by securing his 50th win with a straight-sets victory over Hamad Medjedovic at the Cincinnati Open. The world No. 2 defeated the young Serbian 6-4, 6-4 in a 95-minute match played under challenging, hot conditions. With this win, Alcaraz advances to the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Alcaraz demonstrated resilience and tactical prowess against Medjedovic, a player known for his powerful serves and aggressive baseline game. Alcaraz acknowledged Medjedovic's power, stating, "I know he's a really powerful player. His shots are incredibly hard to return. He has a big serve also. I know he doesn't like to run too much from side to side, so my plan was to make him run as much as I could". The strategy proved effective as Alcaraz capitalized on Medjedovic's discomfort with extended rallies.
The first set was tightly contested, with both players holding serve until the seventh game. In a crucial, lengthy game with multiple deuces, Alcaraz finally broke Medjedovic's serve to take a 4-3 lead. Medjedovic struggled, double-faulting on the fourth break point. Alcaraz then held his serve to clinch the first set 6-4.
Medjedovic received treatment for neck pain at the end of the first set. In the second set, he attempted to shorten the points with aggressive play, but this proved inconsistent. Although Medjedovic managed to break back after initially falling behind, Alcaraz regained the lead by exploiting Medjedovic's errors, including consecutive drop shots that landed in the net. Alcaraz then held his serve to secure the second set and the match.
Alcaraz's victory marks his 13th consecutive win at the Masters 1000 level. He has already won Masters 1000 titles in Monte Carlo and Rome this year. Overall in 2025, Alcaraz has secured titles at ATP Rotterdam, Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros, and Queen's. This consistent performance places him among the top players in the world. He is aiming to surpass his 65 wins from 2023.
Looking ahead, Alcaraz will face Luca Nardi in the fourth round. Nardi, an Italian lucky loser, advanced after Jakub Mensik retired from their match due to the heat. Alcaraz defeated Nardi earlier this year in Doha. The winner of Alcaraz vs. Nardi will proceed to the quarterfinals to face either Andrey Rublev or Francisco Comesana.
The Cincinnati Open is a key event for Alcaraz as he prepares for the US Open, which begins on August 24. He is currently in a battle with Jannik Sinner for the ATP Year-End No. 1 ranking. Alcaraz holds a 1,500-point lead over Sinner in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
Other players have struggled with the Cincinnati heat. In another match, Francisco Comesana beat Reilly Opelka, who needed medical attention. Coco Gauff advanced to the next round after Dayana Yastremska withdrew due to illness.
