Cincinnati Open 2025: Women's singles draw analysis, preview & prediction ft. potential Coco Gauff-Jessica Pegula SF, Aryna Sabalenka-Iga Swiatek SF

The women's edition of the 2025 Cincinnati Open is almost upon us. The eighth WTA 1000 tournament of the year promises to be a cracker with several top match-ups on the cards. World No. 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka makes her much-awaited return later this week, marking her first tour-level appearance since Wimbledon in July.

The Belarusian will receive plenty of resistance during her campaign, with her archrivals Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek looking for some redemption. Both the American and the Pole crashed out of the Canadian Open in the early rounds and will be eager for a deep run in Cincinnati.

Aside from the usual suspects, some other top players that will also vie for the 1000-level title include last year's finalist Jessica Pegula, Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova, and seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini. The dark horses at the hardcourt tournament include former Cincinnati finalists Naomi Osaka and Karolina Muchova, and the in-form Elena Rybakina.

Without further ado, let's take a deep look into how the top dogs will fare at the Cincinnati Open next fortnight:

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Top Half: Aryna Sabalenka receives tough draw, Amanda Anisimova looking to set Wimbledon final rematch vs Iga Swiatek in QF

Iga Swiatek will be hopeful of her first-ever title at the Cincinnati Open | Image Source: Getty

Seeded Players: (1) Aryna Sabalenka, (3) Iga Swiatek, (5) Amanda Anisimova, (6) Madison Keys, (9) Elena Rybakina, (13) Liudmila Samsonova, (12) Ekaterina Alexandrova, (14) Diana Shnaider, (18) Beatriz Haddad Maia, (19) Elise Mertens, (21) Leylah Fernandez, (22) Magdalena Frech, (25) Marta Kostyuk, (27) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, (28) Anna Kalinskaya, (30) Emma Raducanu

Dark Horse: Donna Vekic

Analysis:

Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka has received a first-round Bye at the Cincinnati Open, following which she will face the winner between Marketa Vondrousova, who leads her 2-0 in their 2024-25 meetings, and Romania's Jaqueline Cristian. The 27-year-old can then run into 30th-seeded Emma Raducanu in the third round. She has a much more straightforward projected Round-of-16 match-up against either 13th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova, Washington titlist Leylah Fernandez, or a returning Venus Williams.

The going gets tough for Sabalenka from the quarterfinals onwards, with the likes of Madison Keys, Elena Rybakina, Elise Mertens, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova being the seeded players she can face for a last-four spot. Provided she gets this far, the three-time Major winner may end up facing her archrival Iga Swiatek, which will allow her to improve her 5-8 losing head-to-head record against the World No. 3.

Iga Swiatek, meanwhile, will begin her campaign against either Russia's Anastasia Potapova or a qualifier in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament. The third seed can then face 25th-seeded Marta Kostyuk in her next match, with a fourth-round match-up in either fellow Pole Magdalena Frech or 14th-seeded Diana Shnaider awaiting her if she gets past the Ukrainian.

If fifth-seeded Amanda Anisimova holds up her end of the deal, which will require her to get past prospective opponents like 12th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova, 18th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Citi DC Open runner-up Anna Kalinskaya, the Cincinnati Open may be rewarded with a Wimbledon title match rematch between the American and Swiatek. Both players pose a healthy threat to 2024 champion Sabalenka, who is looking to tune up her North American hardcourt preparations before she defends her US Open title.

Semifinal Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka def. Iga Swiatek

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Bottom Half: Coco Gauff looking to get back in the Cincinnati Open title winners' circle, Jessica Pegula vying to equal her tournament-best result

Coco Gauff poses with the Cincinnati Open 2023 trophy | Image Source: Getty

Seeded Players: (2) Coco Gauff, (4) Jessica Pegula, (7) Jasmine Paolini, (8) Emma Navarro, (10) Elina Svitolina, (11) Karolina Muchova, (15) Daria Kasatkina, (16) Clara Tauson, (17) Belinda Bencic, (20) Linda Noskova, (23) Jelena Ostapenko, (24) Sofia Kenin, (29) McCartney Kessler, (26) Ashlyn Krueger, (31) Magda Linette, (32) Dayana Yastremska

Dark Horse: Naomi Osaka

Analysis:

2023 Cincinnati Open champion Coco Gauff will be looking to redeem herself following a shock third-round loss to 18-year-old Victoria Mboko in Montreal. Having received a first-round Bye, the second seed will take on the winner between China's Wang Xinyu and Colombia's Emiliana Arango. She can then set up a blockbuster third-round clash against 32nd-seeded Dayana Yastremska, who dumped her out of last month's Wimbledon in the first round.

Gauff would've gotten in enough rest over the last week to reach the Round of 16, where her top-seeded projected opponents will either be the dangerous Jelena Ostapenko or 15th-seeded Daria Kasatkina, who leads the 21-year-old by a margin of 3-0 in their WTA Tour head-to-head meetings. If the American makes it to the last eight, she will find tough resistance in her prospective opponents like seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini, 10th-seeded Elina Svitolina, or a resurgent Naomi Osaka.

Jessica Pegula, meanwhile, will be eager for an all-American semifinal clash against her good friend Gauff. The 2024 Cincinnati Open runner-up opens her campaign this year against either Russia's Anna Blinkova or Australia's Kimberly Birrell, with her third-round projected opponent in 31st-seeded Magda Linette next in the way. The American hasn't enjoyed a deep run at a WTA 1000 tournament since the Miami Open in March and is on course to change that this fortnight.

The smooth sailing continues for Pegula into the Round of 16 as her prospective top-seeded opponents include 16th-seeded Clara Tauson, who is still competing in Montreal, or the 17th-seeded Belinda Bencic. Eighth-seeded Emma Navarro will then have the task of stopping the fourth seed from reaching the semifinals at the 1000-level event. Provided the 31-year-old does make it deep, she will have the chance to emulate her performance last year in Cincinnati by booking her berth in the women's singles title match.

Semifinal Prediction: Jelena Ostapenko def. Jessica Pegula

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Cincinnati Open 2025 Final Prediction

Aryna Sabalenka def. Jelena Ostapenko