Americans dominated the quarterfinal picture at the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday, with Tommy Paul upsetting top seed Alexander Zverev, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys all advancing on the women’s side, and Brandon Nakashima joining Paul in the men’s quarters to give the United States a strong presence deep in both draws.
Four women reaching the quarterfinals is the most since 2004 in Cincinnati, a milestone that reflects the depth of American tennis in the current generation.
Paul beats Zverev in the headline result
Paul rallied from a set down to defeat Zverev 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the marquee match of the day, a result that was interrupted by a rain delay of nearly 90 minutes during the second set. Paul held his composure through the disruption and through a tiebreak to level the match, then closed out the third set to eliminate the French Open champion and world No. 3. He will face Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals. Cobolli reached his first Cincinnati quarterfinal by rallying past Rafael Jodar 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The women’s draw
Pegula beat Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 for her 43rd win of 2026, the most on the WTA Tour this year. It is her fourth quarterfinal appearance in Cincinnati. She will face Amanda Anisimova, who defeated Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 6-1, 6-4 to set up an all-American quarterfinal.
Gauff, seeded fourth, defeated Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 33 minutes, overcoming six double-faults to advance. Gauff won the Cincinnati title in 2023. Keys defeated Wang Xiyu 7-6, 6-4 to become the fourth American woman into the quarterfinals.
Iga Swiatek beat France’s Diane Parry 6-3, 6-3 to extend her current win streak to nine matches. The defending champion will face second-seeded Elena Rybakina, who has yet to drop a set this week. Marta Kostyuk defeated 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 to avenge a semifinals loss at Roland Garros.
The men’s draw
Nakashima defeated Nuno Borges 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 to reach back-to-back Cincinnati quarterfinals. Taylor Fritz, the highest-ranked American man remaining, beat Australian Christopher O’Connell 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets.
Thiago Agustin Tirante, who beat Novak Djokovic in the second round, defeated Jakub Mensik 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to become the first Argentine to reach the Cincinnati quarterfinals since Juan Martin del Potro in 2018.
Frances Tiafoe and women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka were both still to play Wednesday night, with the schedule pushed back by rain.
What the American run means
The depth of performance in Cincinnati this week provides a meaningful tuneup narrative ahead of the US Open, which begins at Flushing Meadows on Aug. 25. Paul’s upset of Zverev is the kind of result that enters the tournament with momentum behind it.
Pegula in particular has been the most consistent American woman on tour this year, and her 43-win total reflects sustained excellence. An all-American quarterfinal against Anisimova, who beat Alex Eala in the previous round, makes for one of the more compelling matches of the week.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday.
