Iga Swiatek won the Cincinnati Open for the first time on Monday, beating Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 in a tough final that lasted just under two hours. The match included 16 break points. Swiatek took six of her chances, while Paolini missed several of hers.
This is Swiatek’s 11th title at the WTA 1000 level, bringing her closer to Serena Williams’ record of 13. She didn’t drop a single set throughout the tournament.
“Cincinnati is always a challenge,” Swiatek said after the match. “This win gives me a big confidence boost. My team helped me adjust how I play, and I’m really happy with the changes. It feels even better after getting the win in straight sets.”
After winning Wimbledon, the 24-year-old has now added another big title to her collection and heads into the US Open full of confidence, with this being the 24th title of her career.
Swiatek is also set to play mixed doubles at the US Open with Norway’s Casper Ruud, starting Tuesday. She said she’s looking forward to playing on the slower courts at Flushing Meadows. “I’m a good player and can perform on any surface,” she said. “The courts keep getting slower each year, but tennis is about adapting.”
Swiatek is now only 500 points behind Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA rankings. With the US Open starting on Sunday, the number one spot could be up for grabs.
Swiatek had previously lost in the semi-finals in Cincinnati for the past two years. Now, the only WTA 1000 event where she hasn’t reached a final is the Canadian Open.
“Today was tough. We were both nervous – that’s normal in a final,” she said. “I’m happy I was able to close it out. It wasn’t perfect, but I stayed mentally strong and focused on my game. We’ve done a lot of work on the mental side.”
Swiatek had a slow start, losing her serve early to fall behind 0-3. But she quickly recovered, breaking back twice to take a 5-3 lead. Paolini managed to break again and saved a set point to level the score at 5-5, but Swiatek broke once more and served out the set 7-5.
The second set was back and forth, with both players breaking each other twice. Swiatek saved two break points to go 5-3 up, and then closed out the match a couple of games later.
