‘Doesn’t Change Much’ – Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz Address Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s Cincinnati Absence

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the two most recent Cincinnati Open champions, will both miss this year’s ATP Masters 1000 event, leaving the likes of Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz to headline the draw in their absence.

Ahead of their respective campaigns, Zverev and Fritz have both expressed similar sentiments about whether Sinner and Alcaraz’s absence affects their mindset.

What Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz Said About Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s Cincinnati Withdrawals

Alcaraz, who has been sidelined since sustaining a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April, was expected to make his long-awaited return to the tour at the Cincinnati Open. However, he pushed back his comeback and withdrew from the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Sinner soon followed suit, revealing that a knee injury had forced him to withdraw since he was “not ready to compete yet.” Instead, he expressed his intention to focus on his preparations for the US Open.

Meanwhile, Zverev and Fritz have arrived at the Cincinnati Open venue, looking to bounce back strongly after losing their opening matches at the Canadian Open in Montreal. During their pre-tournament press conferences, both players addressed the notable absence of Sinner and Alcaraz.

Zverev acknowledged that Sinner’s absence was particularly significant since the world No. 1 had triumphed at every Masters 1000 event he had competed in this season. However, the German emphasized that it would not change his own approach to the tournament.

“Yeah, I mean look, I think it does change a little bit, especially Jannik not being here. He’s basically won every masters that he’s played this year. But for me, it doesn’t change much. I still want to compete against the best and hopefully just show up with my tennis, play better than I did in Canada. And we’ll see how how far I can go in the tournament,” Zverev said.

Similarly, Fritz said he would treat the Cincinnati Open like any other tournament, since Sinner and Alcaraz’s presence in the draw would only have become a concern in the latter stages of the tournament.

“Maybe once you get to the later stages of the tournament. But that’s not something I’m going to think about until you’re in the quarterfinals. As a higher seed, you’re not gonna see the difference of them not being there until you’re in the quarterfinals or the semifinals. So, up until then, it’s just another tournament. Obviously, there’s opportunity, but it’s opportunity at the end of the tournament,” Fritz said.

MORE:Andy Roddick Warns About Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open Return After Jannik Sinner Joins Him in Cincinnati Withdrawal

Top seed Alexander Zverev and No. 6 seed Taylor Fritz have both received first-round byes at the Cincinnati Open. Zverev is set to kick off his campaign against the winner of the match between Cameron Norrie and Dino Prižmić, while Fritz will face either Jesper de Jong or Alex Michelsen in the second round.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.