Iga Swiatek opened her Cincinnati campaign with a straight-sets win over Anastasia Potapova, a result that both sets up a third-round meeting with 25th seed Marta Kostyuk and delivered three significant career markers.

Swiatek’s on-court comments captured the pragmatic tone of the victory. “I really wanted to be solid but pretty intense on the other hand,” she said. “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.”

By defeating Potapova the reigning Wimbledon champion reached her 300th WTA Tour-level victory, excluding Billie Jean King Cup wins. That 300th triumph came in her 372nd WTA Tour-level match, the fewest matches to reach the mark since Serena Williams, who reached 300 in 360 matches at the Cincinnati Open in 2006.

The win also extended Swiatek’s remarkable string in opening matches at the WTA 1000 level. She has now won her opening match in her last 29 WTA 1000 appearances, a run that dates back four years. The last time she failed to win an opening match at that level was the 2021 Cincinnati Open, when she lost in round two to Ons Jabeur after a first-round bye. That 29-match run equals the streak Monica Seles compiled at Tier 1/WTA 1000 events from Key Biscayne in 1990 to Rome in 2000. Martina Hingis remains the benchmark with 39 straight opening-match wins between the 1996 Italian Open and the 2002 Canadian Open.

Finally, the Cincinnati victory was Swiatek’s 20th WTA 1000 match win in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive season in which she has recorded 20 or more wins at this level. She claimed 24 WTA 1000 wins in 2022, 27 in 2023, and 30 in 2024, and has won 10 WTA 1000 titles in her career. Her Cincinnati run continues with Kostyuk looming as the next test.

Emma Raducanu opened her Cincinnati Open campaign with a straight-sets victory over Olga Danilovic, a result that delivered an immediate live-ranking benefit and set up a high-profile second-round meeting. The 22-year-old beat Danilovic 6-3, 6-2 in a match that saw early volatility on serve. There were four breaks in the first five games before Raducanu secured the decisive break in game eight. She then dominated the second set with two breaks to close out the win. Raducanu began working with Francisco Roig after Wimbledon and the Spaniard’s full-time role through the end of the 2025 season was confirmed in the build-up to Cincinnati. Roig was one of 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal’s mentor for more than two decades. After the match Raducanu said,

“I’m really building some momentum. I’m really happy with how I’ve stayed pretty consistent over the last few months,”

“I still feel like there’s a long way to go but just working hard behind the scenes, putting a lot of hours in and hoping I can trust in that.”

The win improves her Live Rankings position. Raducanu had slipped six places to No 39 in the WTA Rankings after the Canadian Open, but the opening-round victory produces a projected five-place jump in the Live Rankings and moves her closer to the top 32 cut-off for US Open seedings. Raducanu sits on 1,426 points in the Live Rankings and, if she wins her next match, will move to 1,481 points and rise to No 31.

Her opponent in round two is world No 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who began her title defence with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Marketa Vondrousova. Sabalenka noted, “It’s always a tough match against her,” Sabalenka said. “[Vondrousova] always pushes me to the limit. You have to stay focused, and you have to fight for every point against her.” The pair met in a gripping fourth-round contest at Wimbledon, won by Sabalenka 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, and Sabalenka also prevailed in their previous meeting at the 2024 Indian Wells Open, 7-3, 7-5. The winner will face either Jessica Bouzas Maneiro or Taylor Townsend in the fourth round.

Jannik Sinner returned to action at the Cincinnati Open with an emphatic opening victory, dispatching Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 6-1 in 59 minutes. It was the Italian’s first match since defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final and he carried that form straight onto the hard court.

Sinner dropped just two games in the contest against the World No. 144, a scoreline that leaves little doubt about the balance between the players on the day. The 23-year-old now moves into the Round of 32, where he will face either Sebastian Baez or David Goffin.

The win continues a run Sinner began at this venue a year ago. Looking to retain his title after winning here 12 months ago, he arrives in Cincinnati on the back of a remarkable stretch: his record at big tournaments since that previous victory stands at 48-2.

This match was a straightforward start to his Cincinnati title defense. The scoreline and the brief duration of the match emphasise how quickly Sinner re-established control after the Wimbledon break. With a dominant first outing completed, attention will turn to the next opponent and how Sinner manages the step up in competition as the draw narrows.

For now the facts are clear: a dominant opening performance, minimal games dropped, and a path that leads to a Round of 32 encounter with either Baez or Goffin. Sinner’s objective in Cincinnati remains to defend the crown he claimed at this venue one year earlier, and the opening result offered a timely reminder of the form that produced a 48-2 record in big tournaments since that triumph.