German tennis player Constantin Frantzen and his Dutch partner Robin Haase reached the doubles final at the ATP-1000 Masters tournament in Cincinnati as late-entry alternates. Despite falling short of the title in a tight three-set match against Brazilians Rafael Matos and Orlando Luz, the unexpected run catapulted Frantzen into the world’s top 30 doubles rankings and secured a seeded spot at the US Open.
An Unlikely Entry and Miraculous Run in Cincinnati
Frantzen and Haase initially expected to watch the Cincinnati Masters from the sidelines after missing direct entry into the main draw. According to statements given by Frantzen, the duo learned they were entering the tournament as alternates just before the event began. Playing with what Frantzen described as a mixture of euphoria and a strong fighting spirit, the pair rattled off a series of impressive wins against established doubles pairings.
In the opening round, Frantzen and Haase defeated Lucas Miedler and Marc Polmans 6:4, 7:6. They followed that up with a hard-fought 7:6, 3:6, 10:4 victory over Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, before besting Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti 7:6, 7:6 in the quarterfinals. The momentum carried them into the semifinals, where they ousted the tournament’s second-seeded US Open champions, Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, with a 6:3, 3:6, 10:5 win.
The Final and Immediate Travel to Winston-Salem
The run ended in the championship match on Sunday afternoon, where Rafael Matos and Orlando Luz claimed the Cincinnati trophy with a 4:6, 6:3, 7:10 victory. Frantzen reflected on the result, noting that reaching the final was an outcome neither player anticipated at the start of the week. The loss was sealed in the decisive tiebreak, but the team walked away with approximately $130,000 in prize money and crucial ranking points.
With little time to rest, the pair drove seven hours overnight to make it to the Winston-Salem tournament, where their ranking earned them a direct spot in the main draw. They competed in the tournament’s round of sixteen shortly after arriving.
Reaching a Milestone at the US Open
The deep run in Cincinnati reshaped Frantzen’s position on the ATP Tour. Moving up to world number 28 or 29 in the live doubles rankings, the 28-year-old secured his first-ever Grand Slam seeding alongside Haase ahead of the US Open. For Frantzen, who previously captured a single ATP Tour title in Chengdu in 2025 alongside Haase, the milestone marks a major step forward in his professional career.
