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Iga Swiatek is searching for her Cincinnati Open title this summer, and her quest for success in 2025 is off to a flying start.

The world No 3 wasted little time in sealing a comprehensive straight-sets win over Anastasia Potapova on Saturday, setting up a third-round meeting against 25th seed Marta Kostyuk.

“I really wanted to be solid but pretty intense on the other hand,” said Swiatek on court.

“It was a bit up and down in the second set. In the important moments, I got my level up & I could close it. First match in any tournament is always tricky.

“I’m happy I’m going to have a chance to play another one here.”

Victory not only handed the reigning Wimbledon champion a solid performance marker ahead of a dangerous clash against Kostyuk but also saw Swiatek hit three incredibly impressive milestones.

300 wins

Swiatek has become accustomed to winning in recent years, with the former world No 1 cementing her place as arguably the leading player of her generation.

And, by beating Potapova, the 24-year-old secured the 300th WTA Tour-level triumph of her career, excluding Billie Jean King Cup victories.

It took the Pole just 372 WTA Tour-level matches to hit that milestone, the fewest matches needed since tennis legend Serena Williams (360) at the Cincinnati Open back in 2006.

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WTA 1000 Round 1 record

The world No 3 has an impressive record in opening-round matches at tournaments of all levels, though her record at WTA 1000 events is especially impressive.

Swiatek has now won her opening match in her last 29 WTA 1000 appearances, a run dating back four years.

The last time the Pole was beaten in her opening match at a WTA 1000 tournament was the 2021 Cincinnati Open, where she was beaten in round two by Ons Jabeur, following a round-one bye.

She has now emulated tennis icon Monica Seles, who also won 29 straight opening matches at Tier 1/WTA 1000 level, dating from Key Biscayne in 1990 to Rome in 2000.

However, Swiatek still has some way to go to match the all-time record of Martina Hingis.

Former world No 1 Hingis won a staggering 39 straight Tier 1/WTA 1000 opening matches between the 1996 Italian Open and 2002 Canadian Open.

WTA 1000 consistency

Though Swiatek’s season was under the microscope until her Wimbledon triumph last month, the six-time Grand Slam champion has still found huge consistency in 2025.

Victory at the Cincinnati Open against Potapova was her 20th WTA 1000-level match win in 2025, making this the fourth straight season in which the Pole has achieved 20+ wins at this level.

Swiatek claimed 24 WTA 1000 match wins in 2022, 27 in 2023, and 30 in 2024, and has so far claimed 10 WTA 1000 titles in her career.

The Pole is the only woman to have won 20+ WTA 1000 match wins in the past four seasons, with the rest of her Cincinnati campaign still to come, as well as the China Open and Wuhan Open later this year.

Read Next: 2025 US Open projected seedings: Will Victoria Mboko, Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu make the cut?

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Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is set to be the top seed at the 2025 US Open and the top 25 seeds are all but confirmed while a few places are still up for grabs at the Cincinnati Open.

The US Open is the final Grand Slam of the season with the hard-court tournament kicking off on August 24 at Flushing Meadows in New York before coming to a conclusion on the weekend of September 6 and 7 with the women’s final being staged on the Saturday and the men’s showpiece match taking place a day later.

Thirty-two players will be seeded for the major, but the seedings will be based on the players’ positions in the WTA Rankings on August 18, meaning the current WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati is the final position where players can earn points before the cutoff.

World No 1 Sabalenka has a 3,400-point lead over Coco Gauff in the Live Rankings so she is assured of headlining the draw as the top seed while Gauff finds herself in a battle with Iga Swiatek to be the second seed.

Reigning French Open champion Gauff has the upper hand as the Pole will have to win the tournament to move ahead of the American in the WTA Rankings after the Cincy tournament.

Mirra Andreeva, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova, Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina and Emma Navarro complete the top 10 in the Live Rankings, but there will be a few changes in the next week as all of them are still active in Ohio.

World No 7 Zheng Qinwen was set to be among the top seeds, but she has withdrawn from the US Open due to an elbow injury while No 12 Paula Badosa is also out with a back injury.

That means those below them are bumped up, while two spots open up for those outside the top 32.

Two players who are also all but assured of being seeded are Canadian Open finalists Victoria Mboko and Naomi Osaka.

Just a month ago, Mboko was not in the running to be seeded at the US Open as she was outside the top 80 in the rankings, but her fairytale title run at her home WTA 1000 event has resulted in a 61-place surge to No 24 while Osaka is one place behind her after jumping 24 places.

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With Zheng and Badosa not playing, Mboko is set to be seeded 22nd and Osaka 23rd, although there will be changes as both are not playing in Cincinnati.

There will no doubt be a big scrap in the next week for the final seeding positions with Mccartney Kessler (28), Dayana Yastremska (29), Leylah Fernandez (30), Anna Kalinskaya (31) and Emma Raducanu (32) occupying the final five positions.

Fernandez is currently in the biggest danger as she has already exited the Cincinnati Open while several players outside the current top 32 are still in action so she could overtake her.

Raducanu is also in a difficult position as she faces Sabalenka in the third round in Cincy and a defeat means she will be the first to lose out if those below her in the Live Rankings pick up a win or two.

But on the flip side, there could still be a few withdrawals in the top 30.

Current Top 32 Based on Live Rankings

1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Coco Gauff
3. Iga Swiatek
4. Mirra Andreeva
5. Jessica Pegula
6. Madison Keys
7. Amanda Anisimova
8. Jasmine Paolini
9. Elena Rybakina
10. Emma Navarro
11. Elina Svitolina
12. Karolina Muchova
13. Ekaterina Alexandrova
14. Clara Tauson
15. Belinda Bencic
16. Daria Kasatkina
17. Ludmilla Samsonova
18. Beatriz Haddad Maia
19. Elise Mertens
20. Linda Noskova
21. Diana Shnaider
22. Victoria Mboko
23. Naomi Osaka
24. Sofia Kenin
25. Jeļena Ostapenko
26. Marta Kostyuk
27. Magdalena Frcch
28. Mccartney Kessler
29. Dayana Yastremska
30. Leylah Fernandez
31. Anna Kalinskaya
32. Emma Raducanu

Next Five
33. Xinyu Wang
34. Rebecca Sramkova
35. Veronika Kudermetova
36. Olga Danilovic
37. Maya Joint
38 . Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
40. Tatjana Maria

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World No. 3 Iga Swiatek survived a second-set comeback from Anastasia Potapova to begin her 2025 Cincinnati Open campaign with a win.

Having secured the first set in under 30 minutes, dropping just one game in the process, it looked as if the Polish player would make light work of her Russian opponent but the World No. 45 fought back to make Swiatek work for her victory.

The 24-year-old won the second set 6-4 to take the match on Center Court and progress to a Round of 32 tie against Marta Kostyuk.

Speaking immediately after the match, Swiatek admitted it was “up and down” in the second set.

“I really wanted to be solid but pretty intense on the other hand and it was a little bit up and down in the second set,” she said. “But in important moments, I got my level up and I could close it.

“So yeah, for sure, you know, first match in any tournament is always tricky, and I’m happy that I’m going to have a chance to play another one here.”

Swiatek also took time to praise the refurbishments done to the venue since the last tournament, saying it allowed her to better prepare for the match.

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“It’s amazing to be back here, you know, especially coming back to much, much better facilities and everything is new, so I’m really enjoying it.

“It helps, because you can chill even before the match, there’s no like noise and too many people in one place. So for sure, it’s good for someone like me who likes it a bit quiet and to create my own space.

“So, yeah, I think for sure this tournament needed that, and I’m happy that they made such an amazing job just in one year to build all these facilities, because I never seen anything like it, and it’s just great.”

Read next: Who is Emma Raducanu’s next opponent Olga Danilovic?

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The first two players for the ATP Finals have already been confirmed, with Jannik Sinner joining Carlos Alcaraz in the season-ending tournament.

Even with missing three months due to a doping ban, Sinner has amassed enough points to ensure he finishes no lower than seventh in the year-end rankings, mathematically guaranteeing him a spot at the showpiece event alongside Alcaraz.

What is the ATP Finals?

The ATP Finals is the season-ending championship of the ATP Tour.

The top seven ranked players automatically qualify, while the eighth spot is reserved for any player who wins a Grand Slam but is ranked between ninth and twentieth. If that does not happen, then the eighth-ranked player takes the final spot.

After the players have been decided, they are split into two groups of four and play three round-robin matches against the others in their group.

After those matches, the top two progress to the semi-finals in a knockout format.

Since 2021, the tournament has been held in Turin, Italy, at the Palasport Olimpico and will be held between November 9 and 16.

Who has already qualified for the 2025 tournament?

Just two players have currently qualified: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Alcaraz was the first to qualify, doing so in July, while Sinner confirmed his spot in early August.

The finals could well decide who ends the year as World No. 1, with Alcaraz currently on 7,550 points to Sinner’s 6,010.

Who is in the hunt?

Beyond those two, there is quite a drop-off, with Alexander Zverev on less than half the points of Alcaraz.

The German has 3,690 points heading into the week of August 11, with Canadian Open champion Ben Shelton in fourth.

Novak Djokovic is currently fifth, with Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper in sixth and seventh.

Alex de Minaur is in the uncertain eighth spot, but that should still be good enough for a place in the tournament, provided no player ranked between ninth and 20th wins the US Open.

Who won it last year?

Jannik Sinner won his first ATP Finals trophy last season, defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in the final.

Before that, he reached the final in 2023 but lost to Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian has won the tournament the most times in history, doing so on seven occasions, including four consecutive titles between 2012 and 2015.

Do the women take part?

As it is for the ATP Tour, women do not take part but they do have their own version – the WTA Finals.

As with the men, the top eight players compete in a group stage before the knockout tournament.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is currently the only player to have qualified.

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The post Who has qualified for the ATP Finals? Sinner joins Alcaraz in exclusive club appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner admitted he got “lucky” after Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire during their round of 16 match at Wimbledon.

The Bulgarian was leading two sets to love and looking like he was heading for his defeat of Sinner in five years before a pectoral muscle injury forced him to withdraw.

Sinner would go on to win the tournament while Dimitrov has yet to return to action.

Now, as he looks to win again this time at the Cincinnati Open, the world No.1 has conceded he was “lucky” to get past Dimitrov.

“I was lucky against Grigor, but I took it as a sign,” Sinner said. “You never know what can happen and that’s how it is in tennis. So you have to try to understand why and how certain things happen.

“And after that match, I really raised my level of play, and I played some of the best tennis I could play. It was a very emotional moment for me, and I was able to celebrate with my team.”

Sinner is looking to retain his Cincinnati title but has already made an observation that he believes the balls are getting smaller.

“From my point of view, the tennis balls are getting smaller,” he said ahead of his Round of 16 match against Daniel Elahi Galan. “The more you play, the smaller they get.

“That is very strange because usually they open up and get slower, but here they get actually faster.

“The ball bounces much higher. We haven’t had one very windy day yet, but it’s going to be very difficult if there’s going to be wind here.

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“We saw it last year, remember the match against Andrey was super difficult, so it’s very difficult and it’s going to be a mental game. I am trying to accept every situation on the court and trying to be ready.”

Sinner will be wearing an arm sleeve in Cincinnati, as he did at Wimbledon, but explained that it was not protecting an injury.

“The elbow does not hurt, but I like the sensation that gives the sleeve,” he said.

“It gives a little more stability in the impact with the ball. I had also used it at Wimbledon and I liked it.”

Read next: Emma Raducanu gets strong verdict on top 10 and Grand Slam hopes from Serena Williams’ ex-coach

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Legendary tennis coach Rick Macci has given a glowing appraisal of Emma Raducanu’s game and shared his verdict on the Brit’s hopes of challenging for Grand Slam titles again.

Raducanu was ranked 60th in the world in March before she kickstarted her season with a run to the quarter-finals at the Miami Open.

Since the start of Miami, where she began working with Mark Petchey, Raducanu has amassed a 20-10 record.

The 22-year-old is currently ranked 39th, having been as high as 33rd place last month — her best ranking since the points from her 2021 US Open title win dropped in September 2022.

Raducanu started her North American summer hard-court swing by reaching the semi-finals at the WTA 500 event in Washington last month. She then made the third round in Montreal, and will look to continue her positive form at the Cincinnati Open.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Macci was definitive when asked if Raducanu could become a top 10 player again.

“Absolutely, absolutely. And I’ve been saying this for a long, long time,” said the USPTA Hall of Fame coach.

“People… listen, everybody can have an opinion. Here’s what happens, you don’t lose the talent, you don’t lose the mechanics. She’s been pretty fundamentally sound on the forehand and backhand, there’s no real issue, there’s no real flaw.

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“Like, maybe you might see a little speedbump on Coco [Gauff]’s forehand. Raducanu is rock solid off both sides and, listen, she not only qualified and won the US Open, she didn’t drop a set. That wasn’t like, smoke and mirrors. You don’t lose the talent.

“Everything around her changed, but it’s still a ball, a court and a racket. Now, I’m not in that circle, so I don’t know all the details. I’m just glad that she’s still working hard, she has that in her back pocket.

“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. One thousand percent, she is a top ten talent. And let’s face it, there’s a fine line between winning and losing. There’s a fine line with that confidence.

“And as she gets more confident and she starts beating the top players, not only can she be in the top 10, she can definitely contend for a Grand Slam, because she has enough game, because she’s done it before. Okay, she’s done it before. So, 100%.

“As long as she has the passion, the belief is getting stronger and stronger because you don’t lose the talent, you just lose the confidence and then maybe a little fitness along the way, but you can always get that back.”

Macci has coached a host of tennis stars during their formative years, including five players who went on to become world No 1: Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati and Andy Roddick. He also worked with Mary Pierce, Anastasia Myskina and Sofia Kenin, who won Grand Slam titles.

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Naomi Osaka’s former coach Brad Gilbert has become the latest voice to criticise the Japanese player after she did not mention Victoria Mboko in her loser’s speech.

Osaka said just 45 words, none of which were ‘Victoria Mboko’, in her post-match speech after she lost 6-2, 4-6, 1-6 in the Canadian Open final.

Failure to congratulate her opponent has led many to criticise Osaka, a player Mboko has previously said was one of her role models, and the two-time Slam winner took to social media to apologise to her opponent.

“Thanks, Montreal, it’s been a really great run,” wrote the 27-year-old.

“I also want to say sorry and congratulations to Victoria. You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead! I realise I didn’t congratulate you on the court.

“Honestly, I was in a daze and I was so focused on not having the same speech as IW 2018 finals or the Jenny/Jennifer situation that I tried to make my speech as short as possible. Thanks everyone for the week, see you in NY.”

But her former coach Gilbert said the 27-year-old should have congratulated her opponent on the court, bringing up Osaka’s “struggles with social anxiety” and suggesting she “let the last few games go.”

“After losing 7/6 in 3rd, I know Osaka struggles with social anxiety, but gosh congratulate your opponent,” he said on Twitter.

“Especially one that looked up to you, not to mention you just let the last few games go in a final.”

A rare voice of support for Osaka has been Andy Roddick who suggested it is only in tennis where losing players are expected to speak to the media so soon after defeat.

“She didn’t really want to expand a lot in the post-match speeches,” he said on his Served podcast.

“I see people are saying ‘she should’ve said…’, I don’t know, we’re the only sport that is forced to talk after we lose.

“Obviously, we’re not our best selves in that situation, and if people are, great, if they’re not, they’re not.

“I would rather her be friendly with Vicky Mboko all the time than at Grandstand in front of a microphone.

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“I don’t know if either is true, but Naomi [Osaka] is generally well-liked, polite, everyone likes her, and she doesn’t give a lot sometimes when she’s not ready to give a lot, and that’s fine.

“If Michael Jordan did that, they’d be like ‘He’s such a competitor, he can’t get over it’.

“I used to actually use that example with Serena [Williams] all the time; she would go to press sometimes and be really salty.

“I’m like, if that’s Jordan, everyone is celebrating his saltiness, but when it’s Serena, everyone’s writing articles about how salty she is, I don’t know.. It’s fine.”

Read next: Carlos Alcaraz predicts ‘years ahead’ of Jannik Sinner rivalry in build up to US Open

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Carlos Alcaraz has predicted he and Jannik Sinner have “years ahead” of their rivalry with the two penned to dominate men’s tennis for the foreseeable future.

The last seven Grand Slams have been shared by the two players with many foreseeing a men’s game dominated by the pair for years to come.

So far, Alcaraz has the edge with five Slams to Sinner’s four but it was the Italian who triumphed the last time the pair met in the Wimbledon final.

Now, as both prepare for the final Slam of the year the US Open, Alcaraz has agreed that the rivalry could be one that lasts for a long time.

“We’ve both achieved very important things in a very short time,” he said. “I’m very happy to see the rivalry we’re forging, and I think we have years ahead of us to continue doing so.

“We have to let people talk about us; I don’t think about that too much. We’ll see how far we go.”

Having withdrawn from the Canadian Open, Alcaraz returns to action this week in Cincinnati, playing for the first time since losing in SW19. The 22-year-old said it only took him “a few hours” to get over the defeat, acknowledging that it was part of the game.

“It was a new situation for me to lose a Grand Slam final, but you have to be prepared for that,” he said.

“Obviously, I never wanted it to happen, but I left the court proud and happy, smiling thinking that at some point it had to happen because it has happened to all tennis players in history. It took me a few hours to get over the defeat, knowing that I have many things to improve.

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“I could only feel grateful for having experienced a Wimbledon final, I left proud of what I did.”

Away from Wimbledon, 2025 has been a great season so far for Alcaraz who won the French Open as part of a 24-match win streak.

Reflecting on the year so far, Alcaraz said he was pleased but his goal is to regain the No.1 spot.

“I’m very satisfied with how I’m doing and I want to continue like this. There are several improvements I’d like to make to my tennis, but right now the most important thing is to maintain the joy on the court and be happy off it, enjoying the most important tournaments in the world.

“My goal between now and the end of the season is to regain the world number 1 ranking.”

Read next: Aryna Sabalenka says ‘painful’ Roland Garros outburst makes ‘everyone completely forget who you are’

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Aryna Sabalenka said it is “painful” to only be remembered for her Roland Garros outburst and that “everyone judges you” for a comment made in the heat of the moment.

Even two months and a whole other Grand Slam on from the event, Sabalenka feels she is still making up for her comments regarding Coco Gauff following her loss in the French Open final.

The backlash was fierce, prompting an apology from Sabalenka to Gauff, and the World No.1 has apologised plenty of times since the interview but even as she turns her attention to the Cincinnati Open, Sabalenka said she was still being judged for that moment.

“There are people who don’t understand the intensity we bring to competition,” she said. “I went to the press very angry with myself and frustrated with the result. It’s painful to see how, in the moment when you say something without thinking clearly, everyone judges you and completely forgets who you are and what you’ve done before.

“I was overexcited and made a complete mistake. It was hard to explain, but I’ve learned a lot from what happened; I think people can understand me better now. I’d like to think people realise that on the court I can scream and be very focused on achieving my goals, but that I’m also a fun, friendly, and easy-going girl who enjoys other things in life.”

After losing in the Wimbledon semi-finals, Sabalenka opted to skip the National Bank Open in Montreal meaning the upcoming Cincinnati tournament will be her first on the hard court ahead of the US Open.

Speaking of the break, Sabalenka said she felt she needed it to mentally refresh.

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“The season has been really intense; it’s impossible to be at my best every week. I realised after Wimbledon that I needed a break, and it’s been great to do so,” the 27-year-old said. “Now I feel much fresher physically and mentally.

“I decided not to play in Canada because I consider it very important to manage the available energy as best as possible. The season is long and exhausting and now a key stretch for me arrives.

“I am defending the title in New York and I love approaching a Grand Slam in that way. I just hope that all the lessons I have learned from the last few Grand Slam tournaments will help me reach my maximum level.”

Read next: Prize money and points earned by Victoria Mboko and Naomi Osaka in Montreal

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Emma Raducanu kicks off her Cincinnati Open with a match against Olga Danilovic but who is the player currently ranked No.43 in the world?

Having most recently reached the third round of the National Bank Open, Raducanu’s 2025 season continues this week as she competes in the Cincinnati Open for the first time.

Entering at the Round of 64, she will face Serbian Olga Danilovic first up.

Who is Olga Danilovic?

In a snapshot, Olga Danilovic is a Serbian tennis player who is currently ranked No.43 in the world.

She was born in Belgrade, where she continues to reside, in January 2001, making her 24 years old. She is left handed and 5′11½ tall.

To date, she has earned $2,482,789 in prize money and has a singles record of 218 wins to 129 defeats. Her best grand slam performance is the fourth round which she reached at the French Open last year and the Australian Open earlier this year.

Meanwhile she has reached the second round of both Wimbledon and the US Open.

She is coached by Alejandro García Cenzano and mentored by Pepo Clavet.

What was Olga Danilovic’s early career like?

Danilovic was a name on everyone’s lips a few years ago after she won her first WTA title in Moscow in 2018 as a 17-year-old, beating fellow teen Anastasia Potapova in the final to become the first woman born in the 21st century to win a WTA tournament.

That came after a stellar junior career which saw her win three junior doubles Grand Slam titles – at the French Open in 2016, and Wimbledon and the US Open in 2017.

Her career stalled after that though with plenty of tough moments and setbacks since winning the title in Moscow.

She lost in Grand Slam qualifying in her first six attempts to reach a major main draw, before finally breaking her duck at the 2021 Australian Open – ultimately progressing to the second round.

But consistently reaching major main draws remained a challenge for her, with just four Grand Slam main draw appearances by the end of 2023.

It also took her some time to come close to matching her Moscow run, with her second WTA final coming at the Swiss Open in July 2022 – where she lost to Petra Martic in the final.

In 2024, she tasted success again with a title at the 2024 Guangzhou Open.

What about her background?

Danilovic is no stranger to the sporting world.

Her father, Sasha Danilovic, was a huge basketball star during his career and was widely considered one of the best European basketballers of the 1990s.

He was part of the Yugoslavian team that claimed a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, while he also played for the Miami Heat for two years.

Meanwhile, her mum, Svetlana, is a high-profile sports reporter back in Serbia.

Olga Danilovic is a Novak Djokovic superfan

Given she is from Serbia, it is no surprise that Novak Djokovic is Danilovic’s tennis hero.

Speaking to OK Tennis in 2017, she said: “I was watching Novak Djokovic on TV, I don’t remember if it was during Roland Garros or Wimbledon but it was during the beginning of summertime. I felt that could be a nice sport so I tried it.

“He was my idol and will be my idol forever. I love him for his game, his attitude, his life, his achievements, everything. I think everyone should have the passion he always shows. I can’t say anything else apart from that he’s the best.”

The pair have since played in doubles tournaments together and will do so again at the upcoming US Open.

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What titles has Olga Danilovic won?

Still at the early stages of her tennis career, Danilovic does not have a huge amount of silverware just yet.

She has won two WTA titles including the 2024 Guangzhou Open and the 2018 Moscow River Cup.

Like Raducanu, she has never played at the Cincinnati Open before this year. Danilovic began her tournament with a straight sets win over Katie Boulter.

Emma Raducanu v Olga Danilovic Head-to-Head

Raducanu and Danilovic have never before played each other meaning the Cincinnati game will be the first time they have met across the court.

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