Venus Williams received a warm welcome at the Cincinnati Open, marking her first WTA 1000 appearance of the 2025 season, but her return to Center Court ended with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. The former world No. 1, competing on a wild card, played her first tournament since the 2024 Miami Open and showed glimpses of her renowned form before bowing out after one hour and 27 minutes on Thursday.

Ranked No. 51, the 22-year-old Bouzas Maneiro made her Top 50 debut recently and impressed with a career-best Wimbledon run to the fourth round. Despite relative inexperience against top-ranked players, having faced only six Top 10 opponents, she capitalized on key moments to secure the win.

Williams, competing in her 31st year on tour and returning to Cincinnati for the first time in two years, demonstrated resilience early on, leveling the first set after trailing by two breaks. However, a crucial service game lost to Bouzas Maneiro swung the opening set. The second set followed a similar pattern, with Williams fighting back from an early deficit, but the decisive break came at 4-4, handing the Spaniard the chance to serve out the match.

At match point, Williams saved one with a powerful forehand, but Bouzas Maneiro clinched victory on her second opportunity. Looking ahead, Bouzas Maneiro will face No. 21 seed Leylah Fernandez, the recent Mubadala Citi DC Open champion, who had a first-round bye. Williams, a two-time US Open champion, is set to compete in mixed doubles alongside Reilly Opelka but has indicated she may not return for further singles tournaments after the US Open this season.

Williams expressed a timeless perspective on competition at her Media Day: “If there’s the one thing I know, it’s that you’re never too young or too old to win or to lose. Winning and losing knows no age. All that matters is that, for me, I’m prepared and ready. The longer I play and the more I get into it, and the more I train, the better I get.”

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.