The Cincinnati Open was hit by severe weather on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, resulting in play being suspended and several matches left unfinished. Rainstorms and lightning disrupted the evening schedule, leaving players and fans waiting for updates.
Among those affected by the suspension were Alexander Zverev and Jessica Pegula, both seeded third in their respective draws. Zverev was on the verge of closing out his match against Brandon Nakashima, leading 6-4, 5-4 when the weather intervened. Pegula was in a tight contest with Magda Linette, having won the second set 6-3 after Linette took the first 7-6. Their matches were halted due to the dangerous conditions. Toronto champion Ben Shelton's match against Roberto Bautista Agut was also postponed before it even began.
Earlier in the day, Carlos Alcaraz managed to avoid the worst of the weather, securing his place in the fourth round with a victory over Hamad Medjedovic. Alcaraz won efficiently in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. Francisco Comesana and Reilly Opelka played a long match that was interrupted for 45 minutes by rain. Comesano saved three match points to win 6-7, 6-4, 7-5.
The suspension of play wasn't the only disruption at the Cincinnati Open on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, a power outage impacted several systems at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, causing an hour-long delay. A fire alarm also went off during Jannik Sinner's match against Gabriel Diallo.
Zverev had previously voiced concerns about the slow court conditions in Cincinnati, especially with the US Open approaching, which typically features faster courts. He noted the extensive renovations at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, including the addition of 13 new courts, but expressed confusion over the decision to make the surface so slow.
Jessica Pegula, the defending finalist at the Cincinnati Open, had a good start to the tournament, defeating Kimberly Birrell in straight sets. Now, she faces the challenge of resuming her interrupted match against Linette and potentially playing two matches in one day to catch up with the schedule.
Other matches were also affected by the rain. Andrey Rublev was leading Alexei Popyrin 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 2-1 when play was stopped. Jasmine Paolini's match against Ashlyn Krueger never started due to the inclement weather.
Tournament officials will be working to reschedule the affected matches and ensure the competition can continue as soon as the weather permits.
