Aryna Sabalenka’s bid to become the first WTA player since Serena Williams in 2015 to repeat in the Cincinnati Masters is still alive following her thrilling win over Emma Raducanu in the Round of 32 earlier today. Not only did the win increase her cash prize, but it also strengthened her SBOTOP Cincinnati Masters 2025 odds of adding to her growing trophy case this season. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because she’s the top-ranked player in the WTA rankings.
Meanwhile, the second and third-ranked Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are also doing well in Cincinnati. Following their Round of 128 byes, Gauff and Swiatek dispatched their opponents in the second round, with the latter already in the Round of 16 after she caught a lucky break.
As we go deeper into the WTA 1000 event, let’s recap some of the latest Cincinnati Masters 2025 updates on the women’s side.
Sabalenka outlasts Raducanu in three-set thriller
Aryna Sabalenka scored a remarkable 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (5) victory over a gritty Emma Raducanu earlier today, and the world No. 1 needed three hours and nine minutes – the fourth longest match of her career – to advance to the Round of 16.
Similar to their previous face-off in the third round of Wimbledon last month, the first set went to a tiebreak. But, unlike in Wimbledon, Raducanu fought back in the second set and pushed Sabalenka to the limit in the final set, forcing another tiebreak.
Raducanu opened the match by winning eight consecutive points, but she double-faulted in the ninth game. This signaled a momentum shift, as Sabalenka broke her to get it back on serve. During the first-set tiebreak, Sabalenka won six of the first seven points, including back-to-back aces, and converted her third set point. The Belarusian has improved to 11-0 in first-set tiebreaks this year.
Raducanu took the second set by earning three break points and converted the last one, closing it with a powerful ace. This was her first set won over Sabalenka.
These two stars went back-and-forth in the final set, especially in the eighth game, where there were 13 deuces and Raducanu saved four break points before hitting a first serve that Sabalenka didn’t have a reply. However, Sabalenka dug deep and dispatched Raducanu.
With a total of 18 tiebreak wins in 2025, Sabalenka already has the highest tally in a single calendar year in the Open Era. She will play against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the Round of 16 tomorrow.
Swiatek having a walk in the park
Iga Swiatek opened her 2025 Cincinnati Masters campaign with a routine 6-1, 6-4 win over Anastasia Potapova, where she only dropped five games. After that, she is now through to the Round of 16 after a walkover victory over Marta Kostyuk. The 27th-ranked Ukrainian, who won 6-0, 6-1 against Tatjana Maria in the Round of 64, had to retire due to a right wrist injury.
“The wrist injury I sustained in Montreal has been a challenge these past days. I gave everything to be ready for Cincinnati. With the help of my incredible team, I managed to step on court and finish my match yesterday. It meant a lot to compete despite the pain, but I need to listen to my body. I’ll focus on healing, getting stronger, and coming back ready. Thank you, Cincinnati. See you soon, New York,” Kostyuk posted on Instagram.
Swiatek will face Sorana Cirstea in the next round tomorrow and holds a 4-0 head-to-head record over her. Their last meeting was in the Round of 32 in last year’s Madrid Open, where the Pole won 6-1, 6-1.
Gauff back to winning ways
Following her French Open triumph last June, Coco Gauff has been on a slump. She suffered early exits in the German Open, Wimbledon, and the National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada, and she hopes to buck the trend in front of her home fans in Cincinnati. Gauff is fresh from a 6-3, 6-2 win over Wang Xinyu to set up a Round of 32 meeting against Dayana Yastremska tomorrow.
Gauff was impeccable against Wang, as she converted each of the five break points Wang offered and saved five of seven. After serving eight double faults in her first three service games, the young American had none the rest of the way. With her latest victory over Wang, Gauff is slowly closing in on Martina Hingis for most opening match wins in WTA 1000 events before turning 22. Gauff has won 36 of her 44 openers that she has appeared in. Only Hingis has more, with 46 such wins.
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