World No 1 Iga Swiatek is set to compete in the Cincinnati Open following her participation in the Olympic Games. Swiatek, who reached the semi-finals in Cincinnati last year, is determined to claim the title this year and secure her first tournament victory since Roland Garros. However, she faces a challenging quarter in the WTA 1000 event. After receiving a bye in the opening round, Swiatek will begin her campaign in the second round against either Aijla Tomljanovic or a qualifier. In the third round, she is expected to face one of Marta Kostyuk (15th seed), Elise Mertens, or Linda Noskova, who defeated her in Melbourne. The road doesn’t get any easier after that, as Swiatek could potentially face fifth seed Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals, setting up a rematch of the French Open final in June. Paolini, however, also has a challenging path to navigate before reaching the last four, potentially facing either Emma Navarro (11th seed) or Mirra Andreeva in the third round.
The top half of the draw also features third seed Aryna Sabalenka, who aims to bounce back after her quarter-final exit in Toronto. Sabalenka fell to Amanda Anisimova in Toronto and may face her again in the third round of the Cincinnati Open. Anisimova could prove to be a tough opponent for the Belarusian. Sabalenka is likely to start her campaign in the second round against Elisabetta Cocciaretto and could potentially face Anisimova, 14th seed Victoria Azarenka, or Elina Svitolina in the third round. Her projected quarter-final opponent is eighth seed Jelena Ostapenko, who might face Bianca Andreescu in the second round.
The bottom half of the draw is led by world No 2 and defending champion Coco Gauff, who is determined to regain her form and successfully defend her title. Gauff is expected to face Olympic champion and seventh seed Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals, setting up an intriguing matchup. In the third round, Gauff is projected to face 13th seed Anna Kalinskaya, while Qinwen is drawn to face 12th seed Ons Jabeur. Gauff’s potential semi-final opponent is fourth seed Elena Rybakina, who is eager to return to the court after withdrawing from the Olympics and the Canadian Open. However, Rybakina’s path to success is not easy, as she could face Leylah Fernandez or Donna Vekic in the third round before a potential quarter-final against sixth seed Jessica Pegula. Pegula, currently competing in Toronto, faces a challenging opening match against either Karolina Muchova or Dayana Yastremska.
Photo from Zheng Qinwen Instagram
