Preview Cincinnati Open WTA 2025: Aryna Sabalenka returns to defend title, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek pushing for the crown

The WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open 2025 will be held from August 7 to 17 with a draw of 96 players—expanded from the 56-player draw it had until 2024—and will be played on outdoor hard courts. It will be the last major event before the US Open and will feature virtually all the top stars of the WTA Tour.

The tournament will see the return of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who is back to defend her title after almost a month of absence. The Belarusian took a few weeks off after falling in the Wimbledon semifinals and skipped the Canadian Open to prepare in the best way possible for the defense of her Cincinnati and US Open titles.

It will also be a chance to see Coco Gauff—the tournament champion in 2023—as well as other important figures among the favorites, such as Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, and Elena Rybakina.

The major absences will be Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa, both out of the tournament due to injury. However, there are still some surprising names in the draw, with special attention to what Venus Williams will do. The wildcard has already shown a few weeks ago at the DC Open that she still has fuel left to deliver more than a few surprises.

Sabalenka, Gauff, and Swiatek set for a battle in Cincinnati

Aryna Sabalenka, the three-time Grand Slam champion, will make her return to the courts a month after her elimination at Wimbledon. The defending champion is slowly starting to feel the pressure from Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek, who have been closing the distance in the rankings over the last couple of months. With the defense of her titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open ahead, Sabalenka will have no time for surprises if she wants to stay at the top. It will be her only hardcourt tournament before heading to Flushing Meadows for the final Grand Slam of the year.

Coco Gauff is the second seed and this will be her last opportunity to get back on track before the US Open. The two-time Grand Slam champion has been dealing with a double-fault problem for several tournaments. In Montreal, she survived two rounds despite serious service problems, but she ended up paying for them dearly in the Round of 16 against Victoria Mboko. It is a problem she must fix, especially when facing higher-ranked players.

The other name to follow will be Iga Swaitek, the Wimbledon champion who also stumbled in the Round of 16 of the Canadian Open. The Pole saw a nine-match winning streak snapped after a loss to the Danish player Clara Tauson. Although she didn't have a great day in Montreal, Swiatek’s level and consistency cannot be questioned, and as the champion of the most recent Grand Slam at Wimbledon, she knows that Cincinnati is the ultimate test before going to Flushing Meadows. The Pole reached the semifinals in Cincinnati in the two previous years and will surely be motivated to go for a title that she has not yet won in her record of 10 WTA 1000 titles.

The American takeover: 5 of Top 8 seeds are from the US

American players have been protagonists this year, with five players currently in the top 10 and having champions at the Australian Open (Madison Keys) and French Open (Coco Gauff)—both of whom defeated Sabalenka in the final. We must also add Amanda Anisimova, who spoiled the party for Sabalenka at Wimbledon.

The Americans have a good chance of having a local champion again, with five of the eight main seeds: Gauff (2nd), Pegula (4th), Anisimova (5th), Keys (6th), and Navarro (8th). Pegula, in fact, reached the final in 2024 but couldn't defeat Sabalenka. Will this be the year for one of the locals to get revenge?

Venus Williams and Caroline Garcia join Cincinnati raw

Names that will attract attention in the draw include Venus Williams, who returns to the courts after her good run at the DC Open, where she secured a victory against world No. 35 Peyton Stearns. There will undoubtedly be attention on what the former world No. 1 does, as she debuts against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, a recent surprise quarterfinalist at the Canadian Open.

The French player Caroline Garcia received a wildcard and will have the chance to return to the courts during what will be her final professional season, as she recently announced her retirement. She will debut against the British star Sonay Kartal.