Tomáš Macháč is back on court after more than two months away, and his return will immediately be tested at the ATP Cincinnati Open. The Czech player, who has been sidelined since the French Open, is slated to meet Pablo Carreno Busta in a first-round match that will offer an early look at where his fitness stands.
Macháč’s absence began when he suffered a left foot injury in his second-round match at the French Open. That makes his Cincinnati appearance notable for more than just the matchup itself. For a player returning from a long layoff, the first outing back is often less about form and more about whether the body holds up under match pressure.
Why Macháč is in the spotlight
This is one of the clearer comeback storylines in the ATP Cincinnati Open draw. Macháč has not played competitively since the French Open, so the main question is not whether he has talent, but how quickly he can settle back into tournament rhythm after a two-and-a-half-month absence.
That is why the first-round meeting with Pablo Carreno Busta matters. Even in a predictions piece focused on opening matches, this one stands out because Macháč’s fitness is the live variable. A player returning from injury can look sharp in practice and still need time to find timing, movement and confidence in a real match.
What to watch in the first round
There is no need to overcomplicate it: the key issue is whether Macháč can handle the physical demands of a best-of-three-set match after such a long break. If he moves well and gets through the early exchanges without obvious discomfort, that would be a positive sign not just for Cincinnati, but for the rest of his hard-court swing.
Carreno Busta will have a chance to make that return uncomfortable, which is exactly what makes this a meaningful opener. For Macháč, the goal is simple — get back into competition, prove the left foot is holding up, and start rebuilding from there.
