For years, Cincinnati had been the elusive stop on Iga Świątek’s otherwise glamorous tennis journey. Six times she reached the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open, and six times she was denied entry into the championship match. But on Monday night, the 24-year-old from Poland finally rewrote her narrative. Świątek conquered that long-standing hurdle, defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 to secure her first Cincinnati Open crown.
The straight-sets victory did more than give Świątek her third title of 2025; it marked her resurgence on hard courts and added momentum and confidence ahead of the year’s final Grand Slam, the US Open.
For a player who has won six Grand Slam titles and dominated clay and grass courts with authority, Cincinnati was one title she wanted to win. Each semifinal exit in past years, including painful losses to Coco Gauff in 2023 and Aryna Sabalenka in 2024, only fuelled the narrative that the conditions of Ohio weren’t suited to her natural game.
But Świątek proved otherwise this week. Not only did she reach the final, but she did so in dominant fashion, without dropping a set, and with a composed semifinal victory over Elena Rybakina, one of the hardest hitters on tour. By the time she faced Paolini, she looked determined to settle unfinished business.
“This means a lot,” Świątek said after the win. “This year, I wanted to win. I’m just very happy. It’s nice to check off another tournament from the list that I haven’t won. I have friends here. It’s a nice, relaxed tournament before New York.”
On the other hand, World No. 7 Jasmine Paolini, 29, had arrived in the final with plenty of belief as well. Her road to the title clash included a statement win over World No. 2 Coco Gauff, and she became the first Italian woman ever to reach the Cincinnati final.
She started their clash brightly, racing to a 3-0 lead in the opening set. For a brief moment, it seemed like Paolini might finally flip her head-to-head fortunes against Świątek, who had already beaten her five times without defeat.
But Świątek’s resilience shone through. She reeled off five games in a row, turned the set around, and closed it out 7-5. The second set was a rollercoaster with five breaks of serve, but Świątek’s clinical efficiency on break points (six of six converted) proved decisive. Despite Paolini’s tenacity, the Pole sealed the contest in just under two hours.
Świątek’s Cincinnati title comes only a month after her Wimbledon triumph, underlining her ability to adjust across surfaces. It also represents her 24th career title, 11th at the WTA 1000 level, and her third of 2025. The timing couldn’t be better. Flushing Meadows looms, where she will arrive as the No. 2 seed and one of the outright favourites.
Reaching the final will propel Paolini to a top-eight seeding at the US Open, where she will be a strong contender.
Their rivalry may just be beginning to blossom. Świątek now leads their head-to-head 6-0, but both hinted at the possibility of meeting again under the brighter lights of New York. “Hopefully we’ll play another final soon, maybe at the US Open,” Świątek told her Italian opponent with a smile during the trophy ceremony.
For Świątek, Cincinnati is no longer the frustrating gap in a long list of achievements; it’s a conquered milestone. For Paolini, it’s a reminder that she belongs on the sport’s biggest stages. Together, they produced a final that combined grit, tension, and moments of brilliance.
As both women now turn their focus to the US Open, one thing remains clear: their paths may cross again, and if the Cincinnati final was any indication, it will be a clash worth watching.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
