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Sabalenka stays No. 1 as Cincinnati shifts the WTA rankings picture
Sabalenka keeps No. 1 after Cincinnati, while Swiatek, Eala and Bejlek all move up.
Aryna Sabalenka will continue to hold the world No. 1 spot after another uneven outing at the Cincinnati Open, where Elena Rybakina again missed her chance to move ahead. With Sabalenka beaten in the round of 16 by Sara Bejlek, the door briefly opened for Rybakina, who needed only a run to the final to pass her rival in the WTA Rankings.
Instead, the reigning Australian Open champion could not take advantage. Rybakina was taken apart by Iga Swiatek before exiting when a leg injury forced her to stop with the Pole leading 4-1. As a result, Sabalenka will head into the US Open still at No. 1. Rybakina, though, will have another route to the summit in New York, where she is the defending champion.
Swiatek’s own ranking story has been more complicated. After winning the Canadian Open, she returned to No. 5, but the start of the Cincinnati Open saw her slide to No. 11 in the live rankings because she was defending 1,000 points. Reaching the last four has lifted her back to No. 8, and she could end the event at No. 6 if she adds another title.
Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, both still in contention in Cincinnati, are set to keep their places at No. 3 and No. 4. Marta Kostyuk also had a chance to make a top-10 breakthrough, but her straight-sets loss to Gauff leaves her at No. 11.
Among the other movers, Iva Jovic rose to a career-high No. 14 after reaching the last 16, while Alex Eala climbed to No. 18 after making the round of 32. Bejlek’s victory over Sabalenka helped her jump to a new best of No. 29. Further down, Katie Boulter moved to No. 60 and took British No. 1 status from Emma Raducanu, who dropped to No. 68.
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Sabalenka still leads US Open market, but challengers are closing in
Sabalenka still leads for New York, but recent results have tightened the US Open picture.
Aryna Sabalenka opens as the bookmakers’ pick for the 2026 US Open, yet her recent results have left her looking a step below the very best of the current form charts heading into the final Grand Slam of the season.
At Flushing Meadows, the world No 1 has built a formidable record. Over the last three years she is 19-1 in New York and has lifted back-to-back titles, with her only defeat in that span coming in the 2023 final against Coco Gauff. Even so, her latest run of form has been uneven. Sabalenka has fallen in the round of 16 at her last three events, at Wimbledon, Toronto and Cincinnati, and she has not looked fully in rhythm.
That said, her ceiling remains as high as anyone’s on hard courts. In March, she won both Indian Wells and Miami, becoming only the fifth woman to complete the Sunshine Double. Her four Grand Slam titles have all come on hard courts, including two Australian Open crowns and two US Open triumphs, and she also owns three runner-up finishes at majors on the surface.
The main concern is confidence, which can be decisive at this level.
Elena Rybakina moved higher among the leading contenders after finishing runner-up in Canada, but fitness remains a question after she was forced to retire against Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati, saying she could barely walk.
Jessica Pegula has been one of the steadiest players in recent weeks and will meet Coco Gauff in the Cincinnati final, while Gauff herself arrives in strong form after reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon and Toronto.
Swiatek responded to her Wimbledon disappointment with a title in Canada, though her Cincinnati loss to Pegula will still lead to a ranking drop.
Among the outsiders, Naomi Osaka is trending upward again after returning to 13th in the rankings, while Alex Eala continues to make progress after her DC Open breakthrough and strong runs in Toronto and Cincinnati.
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Swiatek’s Cincinnati title defence ends with Pegula defeat and ranking pressure
Swiatek’s Cincinnati title defence ended in a shaky three-set loss to Pegula, increasing ranking pressure.
Iga Swiatek’s bid to defend her Cincinnati Open crown collapsed in a tense, uneven loss to Jessica Pegula, a result that could put real strain on her WTA ranking ahead of the US Open.
Swiatek had spent the previous couple of weeks rebuilding momentum, including a WTA 1000 title run in Toronto that suggested she was rediscovering the level that has often defined her best tennis. Against Pegula, there were still glimpses of that quality, but the match never fully settled into a high standard and the decisive moments were messy.
The turning point arrived at 4-4 in the third set, when Swiatek produced a double fault to surrender the break. Pegula then closed out a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win after recovering from 3-1 down in the deciding set.
Pegula said the conditions made life difficult for both players and credited her own ability to stay composed. “We were both struggling with the conditions because they were pretty crazy,” Pegula told Sky Sports. “We were both struggling with the serve on our toss.
“We are both great returners, but we were just struggling with the wind and there was a lot of pressure.
“I think I served a little bit better than she did and to tough it out against one of the best players in the world, it’s good for confidence.
“I was telling myself to be brave. I just need to relax a little bit and remind myself that we are just out here trying to get better. It worked today.”
Swiatek had 1,000 ranking points to defend from last year’s Cincinnati title, and 610 points will now fall away before the US Open. Her Toronto title brought in 1,000 points of her own, easing the impact, and she remains on course for a No 8 seeding in New York.
That matters because falling outside the top eight could have left her vulnerable to an early meeting with Aryna Sabalenka or another Pegula rematch. Even with the recent results, this defeat again exposed familiar problems, including wayward groundstrokes, patchy serving and visible frustration at key stages.
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Sinner withdraws from US Open with knee injury
Sinner has withdrawn from the 2026 US Open after saying his right knee still needs more time.
Jannik Sinner has pulled out of the 2026 US Open, saying he is “very sad and disappointed” after the knee problem that has kept him out of action since Wimbledon.
The world No 1 has not competed since defeating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final last month, and his withdrawal now removes one of the leading names from the final Grand Slam of the season.
Sinner explained the decision in a statement posted on social media.
“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year.
“We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realised that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue.
“I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart.
“I was very much looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there.”
The withdrawal means Sinner is the 15th player to pull out of the 2026 US Open across the men’s and women’s draws.
His absence adds another notable change to a tournament already affected by a string of withdrawals, with the men’s and women’s events both impacted.
More to follow…
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