Karen Khachanov expressed immense satisfaction after securing a spot in the final of the 2025 Canadian Masters, following a tense 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4) semifinal win over world No. 3 Alexander Zverev. The Russian overcame a match point en route to the victory, demonstrating resilience and composure during the crucial third-set tiebreak.

This marks Khachanov’s second Masters 1000 final, having previously reached and won the Paris-Bercy final in 2018 against Novak Djokovic. “Yeah, definitely feels good,” he said in his post-match press conference. “Having a great run so far, having another opportunity to play the final in this big event. So, yeah, super happy, super proud to do it once again.”

Khachanov acknowledged the ups and downs of his career, noting the balance between Masters 1000 events and other significant achievements. “Even though it’s been quite a few years, but at the same time during this period I achieved some other great results in the Grand Slams, or the other achievements, so that’s why.” He emphasized that at such stages, both players deserve to win, and the outcome often hinges on who performs better in critical moments.

He detailed the pivotal moments in the match: “I was down 3-1, then I came back to 3-All. Then, it seems he made two unforced errors. But again, maybe I put a little bit more pressure, he got a little bit more nervous, more tight. So, this is how you play in those moments. You try to bring your A-game, and you can win, you can lose, but it is what it is.”

Khachanov will face Ben Shelton in the final, who reached his first career Masters 1000 final by defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3. The pair have met once earlier in the year at Indian Wells, where Shelton won 6-3, 7-5.

Reflecting on his performance in Canada, Khachanov admitted initial discomfort with the conditions but stressed adaptation as a key factor in his success. “When I came here I didn’t like the conditions. I can say it now. But that’s all about adjusting and adapting. I think tennis is all about that. Every week we play in different events. That’s why a lot of things matter sometimes on the results, so that’s why I think the question is about who adapts better. After you pass a couple of rounds, you start playing better.”

The Cincinnati Open women’s singles draw has been released, revealing a competitive field of 94 players and a top half brimming with compelling storylines. Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1 and defending champion, enters the tournament aiming to build momentum for the US Open after skipping the Canadian Open. Her section of the draw is challenging, with potential early encounters against Marketa Vondrousova, who bested her in Berlin, and 30th seed Emma Raducanu, who has shown marked improvement recently. Sabalenka could then meet 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova before a projected quarter-final against sixth seed Madison Keys, the 2019 champion. Keys faces a tough path that could include Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and ninth seed Elena Rybakina.

Iga Swiatek, seed number three, might square off against Amanda Anisimova in a quarter-final rematch of their recent Wimbledon clash. Swiatek demonstrated her top form with a dominant Wimbledon victory but was upset by Clara Tauson at Montreal this week. Swiatek’s draw appears manageable initially, with Marta Kostyuk a possible round-three opponent, though injury concerns linger. Anisimova’s return post-Wimbledon has been solid, but she faces potentially difficult matches against Anna Kalinskaya and Ekaterina Alexandrova.

In another quarter, the eighth seed Emma Navarro and fourth seed Jessica Pegula have both struggled with consistent form, potentially opening opportunities for others like 16th seed Tauson or 17th seed Belinda Bencic. Navarro encounters a formidable early-round opponent in Polina Kudermetova and could face the improved McCartney Kessler or 11th seed Karolina Muchova later.

Coco Gauff, the tournament’s second seed and 2023 champion, looks to regain her Cincinnati form after an early exit in 2024 and a disappointing serving display in Montreal. She may face tough tests early against Dayana Yastremska, her conqueror at Wimbledon, and Jelana Ostapenko, with Naomi Osaka also a potential quarter-final opponent. Osaka, benefiting from a first-round bye, could meet 10th seed Elina Svitolina en route.

Predictions include Sabalenka defeating Rybakina and later Swiatek in a projected semi-final, who herself is expected to overcome Alexandrova. Tauson is favored over Kessler and then Osaka, with Sabalenka ultimately prevailing over Tauson in the final. The Cincinnati Open promises tightly contested matches as leading contenders seek to establish form on hard courts ahead of the US Open.

Elena Rybakina faced a tough loss in a gripping semi-final match at the 2025 Canadian Open, falling 6-1, 5-7, 6-7(4) to 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko after nearly three hours of play in Montreal. The match was tightly contested, especially in the final set where Rybakina twice served for the match at 5-4 and 6-5, holding a match point at 40-30 in the first of those games.

Rybakina, ranked world No. 12 and the 2022 Wimbledon champion, was seeking her second title of the season following her win at the WTA 500 tournament in Strasbourg. She also holds two WTA 1000 titles won in Indian Wells and Rome in 2023. On her way to the semi-finals in Montreal, she defeated Hailey Baptiste, Jacqueline Cristian, Dayana Yastremska, and Marta Kostyuk.

Despite the loss, Rybakina remained positive about her performance. “Yeah, it was tough match, but overall I think successful week for me. Slowly getting better on the court, so yeah,” she said.

The 26-year-old Kazakh also acknowledged the difficulty posed by the heavy crowd support for Mboko, the home favourite. “Yeah, that wasn’t nice, of course,” Rybakina admitted. “I played in a lot of situations where the crowd was supporting the player, but I would say that here it was pretty tough from very beginning. I already felt it from the first game we played, and especially when it’s in between the serves. It is what it is. This is something I was kind of expecting, and definitely it didn’t depend anyhow on my serve or in the mistakes I did or wrong choices. It was obvious that the crowd is going to cheer for their player.”

Rybakina has been working with coach Davide Sanguinetti since February 2025. In a recent interview, he outlined an ambitious plan for her career trajectory: “At the moment, I’m a sort of ferryman: I joined her team in February, without any work behind me. She explained to me more or less what she had done, and I asked her for two years of collaboration because I have my own working method: in the first year I would like to maintain the status quo, maybe finish at number 6 in the rankings, and next year I would like to take her to number one in the world: she has all the potential.”