CINCINNATI — Coco Gauff claimed a 6-2, 6-4 win over Lucia Bronzetti to reach the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open, with the second seed’s game showing some minor rust after a bye in the previous round.
Gauff got a free pass into the last 16 when intended opponent Dayana Yastremska withdrew before the start with injury.
The American, who won the Cincinnati title in 2023 before carrying her momentum to a US Open crown three weeks later, will next meet either seventh seed Jasmine Paolini or former Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova.
Gauff will be playing her third 1000-level quarterfinal of the season after Madrid and Rome – both of which she went on to reach the final.
The 21-year-old, who lost an early break in both sets, finally secured a spot in the last eight with a concluding break of the 61st-ranked Italian’s serve as Bronzetti hit long after 79 minutes on court.
Gauff said that memories of her title success here two years ago come to the surface whenever she is on the centre court.
“It’s super special to play on this court, I have so many memories from 2023,” Gauff said according to AFP.
“I played controlled but aggressive, but sometimes I was a bit passive. It’s tough because the ball really flies and she was giving me no pace.
“I had chances (when she lost serve) but I missed a couple of balls. I was still able to close it out.”
Men’s tennis players will pocket a record $18.3 million in profit-sharing bonuses from the 2024 season, the ATP said, as the tour stepped up its efforts to forge a more sustainable and financially aligned future for the sport.
The bonus amount, a 177 per cent increase on the previous season’s payout, will be distributed to players based on performance at the nine ATP 1000 tournaments, which rank just below the four Grand Slams in prestige.
“This is exactly what profit sharing was designed to do: ensure that players and tournaments share equally in the sport’s financial upside,” ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said.
“The $18.3 million is a huge milestone. For us, it’s proof that strengthening the premium product and aligning interests creates value.
“We’re proud to be strengthening our partnership and building a stronger, more sustainable ATP Tour.”
The profit-sharing plan, introduced in 2022, splits profits generated at ATP Masters 1000 events – above onsite base prize money – equally between players and tournaments and is a cornerstone of the tour’s strategic plan.
Profit-sharing helped push ATP player compensation to a record $261 million for the 2024 season, for a total of $378 million when combined with Grand Slam prize money.
The men’s elite body added that it was on track to deliver more compensation records, including $28.5 million in Challenger Tour prize money and a $3 million ATP 500 bonus pool.
The expansion of most of the Masters events to 96-player draws had increased earning opportunities for players, widening the number of those able to make a sustainable living from the sport, the ATP added.
It said there was a “wave of infrastructure investment” as Madrid, Rome, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris, among other venues, had upgraded facilities to enhance the experience for players and spectators.
