Coco Gauff had to work for her place in the third round of the Cincinnati Open, recovering from a slow start to beat Liudmila Samsonova in three sets.

The American dropped the opening set 6-2 before turning the match around with a 6-4, 6-1 response in the next two sets. It was another example of the resilience she has shown during the North American hardcourt swing, where her form has continued to build.

Gauff had already reached the semi-finals of the Canadian Open before falling to Elena Rybakina in three sets, and that run suggested she is edging closer to her first WTA title of the year. Her latest comeback against Samsonova only reinforced that view.

It was Gauff’s 11th comeback win of 2026, more than any other player on the WTA Tour. According to OptaAce, she stands ahead of Jessica Pegula on 10, Anastasia Potapova on 9, and Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina on 8 apiece. That record says as much about her competitiveness as it does about her ability to recover when matches begin to slip away.

There is still room for improvement, particularly if one argues she should not need to find herself in those positions so often. Even so, her refusal to accept defeat remains one of her defining traits. As the draft notes, “Gauff never knows when she’s beaten and that is simply something you can’t teach a tennis player.”

Her serve is also progressing with each event, which adds to the sense that she is moving back toward the top of the WTA Tour. She is currently world No 4 in the live rankings and must be viewed as one of the leading contenders for both Cincinnati and the US Open.

Next up is Ann Li in the third round. Gauff has not lost to her on the WTA Tour, having beaten her at an ITF event in Arizona in 2019, at the Berlin Open in 2022, and at the Madrid Open in 2025. Another win would send her into the fourth round against either Marie Bouzkova or Iva Jovic.

A high-profile former coach of Serena and Venus Williams believes Alex Eala’s meeting with Amanda Anisimova at the 2026 Cincinnati Open will be a major test of her progress.

Seeded 17th in Cincinnati, Eala is set to face ninth seed Anisimova in a third-round match that many had anticipated when the draw was released. It will be the first time the two meet, with Anisimova arriving as the world No 10 and a 24-year-old American who finished runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2025.

Eala’s recent results give the contest extra weight. The 21-year-old Filipino has compiled a remarkable 9-4 career record against top-10 opponents, and seven of those wins have come this year. She has also won 11 of her last 13 matches, a stretch that has taken in Wimbledon, Washington DC, Toronto, and her opening match in Cincinnati.

Rick Macci, who has coached five players who went on to become world No 1, offered his view of the matchup in a post on X/Twitter. “EALA versus ANISIMOVA will give everybody a snapshot in real time of the Philippine machine and her movement and defense,” the American wrote.

He also explained why he views the meeting as a useful benchmark for Eala. “For her (Eala) to climb that mountain top the power players with clean lethal early strikes like her (Anisimova) is a great learning test for sure.

“When Alex is set on balance and able to hit on the rise this [is] when she gets you on a string and usually gets the prize.”

Macci later turned to Eala’s second serve, suggesting it could become even more effective if she adds pace. “Ask any WTA player if they would rather return a slow 70 mph second serve lefty lollipop or an 85 mph lefty laser from the Philippine machine gun and it is a slam dunk answer,” Macci wrote.

“Tennis is a game of time. Speed kills. Once Alex rewires everything in sync from the ground up look for her second serve to have juice bite and hop and other players wish they still tasted the LEFTY LOLLIPOP.”

Former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski believes Novak Djokovic ought to be “protected” by tournament organisers after his early exit at the Cincinnati Open.

Djokovic fell 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to world No 50 Thiago Agustin Tirante in his opening match at the Masters 1000 event in Mason, Ohio on Saturday. The 24-time Grand Slam champion looked in command through the first set, but the extreme afternoon heat and humidity quickly changed the tone of the contest.

After the defeat, Djokovic explained that he has been managing a health issue that creates “a lot of issues” in difficult weather. “It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years. A lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot,” the 39-year-old Serbian said.

“I did anticipate it, but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”

On the latest episode of his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, Rusedski said the scheduling in Cincinnati was too harsh for Djokovic and argued that night sessions are the safer option.

“I’m just happy to have Novak around whenever it’s possible. He’s 39 years of age, what he’s achieved is phenomenal,” said the former world No 4.

He added that the conditions in Cincinnati can be punishing for anyone, not only an older player. “Novak has to be protected. He can’t be playing during the day. He has to be playing in the evenings, from 7 o’clock onwards. He’s earned the right to do so.”

Rusedski also pointed to the physical demands of the match and said Tirante used the conditions well after dropping the opening set. “So, for me, scheduling plays a part. I know you can’t always protect your big names because of rain and different things, but I think sometimes, you have to do those things.”