World number three, Iga Swiatek, won the Cincinnati Open title after defeating Jasmine Paolini, number seven in the ranking, with scores of 7-5 and 6-4 in a match played on Monday night.
Swiatek maintains an impeccable record against the Italian tennis player, with six victories in the same number of encounters, conceding only one set in the process.
Paolini started with an advantage in the first set, leading 3-0, but Swiatek reacted to get to 5-3. Paolini managed to break serve to tie it at 5-5, although Swiatek finally took the set in 56 minutes.
In the second set, Swiatek’s eighth ace gave her a 5-3 lead. Paolini broke serve twice and got close at 5-4, but Swiatek secured the match, earning her 24th singles title and the eleventh at a WTA 1000 event.
With this victory, Swiatek surpasses Victoria Azarenka (10) in 1000-level titles, ranking second since the introduction of this level in 2009, only behind Serena Williams (13).
Swiatek, who won Wimbledon in July, had not managed to surpass the semifinals in her six previous participations in the Cincinnati Open. In the two previous editions, she reached the semifinals, losing to Coco Gauff in 2023 and Aryna Sabalenka in 2024.
Paolini became the first Italian woman to reach the final in Cincinnati. Since qualifying at the 2023 Cincinnati Open, Paolini has reached two Grand Slam singles finals, won a Grand Slam doubles title, and an Olympic gold medal.
The Cincinnati Open serves as preparation for the US Open, which will begin on Sunday in New York. In the last two years, both the men’s and women’s champions of the Cincinnati Open have won the last Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Carlos Alcaraz won the men’s final on the same Monday after Jannik Sinner withdrew due to illness during the first set.
