Here’s everything you need to know about the Cincinnati Open, including the draw, who’s playing and the schedule. You can watch all the drama unfold live on Sky Sports Tennis.

Which players are in action on Wednesday?

British men’s No 1 Jack Draper‘s first-round match against against Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar is live on Sky Sports Tennis from approximately 6pm UK time.

With victory, Draper could face Greek ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round, and the 2022 beaten finalist in Cincinnati kicks off Wednesday’s action from 4pm against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.

That match on Centre Court is followed by men’s world No 1 Jannik Sinner‘s tournament opener against American qualifier Alex Michelsen, before a mouth-watering women’s matchup between teenage star Mirra Andreeva and 11th seed Emma Navarro of the USA.

Opening the night session at midnight is women’s world No 1 Iga Swiatek, in second-round action against Varvara Gracheva of France, while men’s fifth seed – and 2019 winner in Cincinnati – Daniil Medvedev rounds things off against Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka.

Elsewhere, Danish 15th seed Holger Rune faces former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini in a blockbuster first-round clash at roughly 6pm earlier in the evening.

Following that match from approximately 8pm is French veteran Gael Monfils going up against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, fresh from his Canadian Open triumph last week.

The Cincinnati Open serves up as tune-up for the last Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows, which begins on August 26 and is also live on Sky Sports.

What Brits are in action? Why no Emma Raducanu?

Emma Raducanu failed to receive a wild card for the tournament in Cincinnati, but British No 1s Katie Boulter and Jack Draper were entered into the women’s and men’s singles respectively.

Draper faces Spain’s Munar in his tournament opener on Wednesday, while Boulter was beaten in the first round by Poland’s Magda Linette.

Harriet Dart also suffered a first-round exit against Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan after the world No 77 had come through qualifying.

Cameron Norrie was also due to participate in the men’s draw but has pulled out of a third consecutive tournament due to injury which casts his participation at the US Open in doubt. Norrie has not played since the Swedish Open in mid-July, withdrawing from the Paris Olympics and Canadian Open.

Raducanu, the US Open champion in 2021, reached the quarter-finals of the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington earlier this month before losing to eventual champion Paolo Badosa.

That is now likely to be the 21-year-old’s last competitive action before heading to New York.

Who are the big names featuring in Cincinnati?

Carlos Alcaraz makes his return to hard courts following his Olympic silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion is seeded second and will therefore enter the men’s singles in the second round where he will face the winner of Monfils versus Popyrin.

Alcaraz could then potentially play Draper in the quarter-final, with the Brit having got the better of him 7-6 6-3 in their last meeting at Queen’s Club earlier this summer.

Men’s world No 1 Sinner plays American qualifier Michelsen in his opening second-round match, with German third seed Alexander Zverev a potential semi-final opponent for the Italian.

In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff looks to defend her title which helped tee up her first Grand Slam triumph at the US Open a few weeks later.

Meanwhile, world No 1 Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini will all be aiming to reach their maiden final in Cincy.

Defending champion Djokovic withdraws

Defending Cincinnati Open champion Novak Djokovic withdrew from the tournament following on from completing the golden slam with his Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024.

The record 24-time Grand Slam champion beat Alcaraz 7-6 7-6 in the men’s singles final.

It was also the Spaniard who Djokovic beat to take the Cincinnati title last year, the Serbian emerging victorious 5-7 7-6 7-6 from an epic final which lasted for three hours and 49 minutes.

Djokovic is the defending champion of the US Open, having claimed his fourth title at Flushing Meadows and his most recent slam success there last year.

Cincinnati Open schedule

• Wednesday, August 14 – Second round, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 4pm (night session at midnight)
• Thursday, August 15 – Second and third round, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 4pm (night session at midnight)
• Friday, August 16 – Third round, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 4pm (night session at midnight)
• Saturday, August 17 – Quarter-finals, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 4pm (night session at midnight)
• Sunday, August 18 – Semi-finals, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 4pm (night session at 11pm)
• Monday, August 19 – Men’s and Women’s singles finals, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 6pm

What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?

In the run-up to the final Grand Slam of 2024 – the US Open – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the hard-court season.

• Cincinnati Open (ATP 1000) – 12-19 August
• Cincinnati Open (WTA 1000) – 13-19 August
• Winston-Salem Open (ATP 250) – 18-24 August
• Tennis in the Land, Cleveland (WTA 250) – 18-24 August
• Abierto GNP Seguros, Monterrey (WTA 500) – 19-24 August
• US Open (ATP/WTA) – 26 August – 8 September

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app – giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost.