Coco Gauff, the tournament's fourth seed and defending champion from 2023, booked her place in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open with a convincing 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) victory over compatriot Ann Li. The win not only extended Gauff's perfect 4-0 record against Li but also marked their first encounter on a WTA hard‑court, as both players fine‑tune their games ahead of the US Open, which kicks off on August 30 and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The 22‑year‑old American will now await the outcome of the match between Iva Jovic and Marie Bouzkova to determine her opponent in the quarter‑finals.
Gauff's performance in the opening set was virtually flawless; she held serve in every service game and repelled two break‑point chances from Li, even as the set featured a marathon game with four deuces. Overall, Gauff landed 68% of her first‑serve points, a statistic that underscored her dominance in the early stages. The second set proved more competitive.
After Li slipped on her own serve in the first game, she quickly regained composure and broke Gauff to level the set. Li then surged ahead, breaking again to lead 5-3 and appeared poised to force a deciding third set. However, Gauff’s resilience resurfaced; she broke back, erased the deficit, and forced a tiebreak.
In the breaker, Gauff’s confidence shone through, allowing her to close out the match in straight sets and secure her sixth WTA 1000 fourth‑round appearance of the season. Meanwhile, the tournament’s top seed and world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, delivered a swift and authoritative performance against China’s Wang Xinyu. Sabalenka dispatched the younger opponent in just 54 minutes, winning 6-1, 6-3 to move into the round of 16. The victory marked Sabalenka’s 50th career win at the WTA 1000 level, placing her in an elite group alongside Serena Williams (104 wins) and Iga Swiatek (58 wins) as the only players to reach the 50‑victory milestone while holding the world No.
1 ranking. After the match, Sabalenka expressed satisfaction with her display: "I cannot complain. She's a tough opponent, and to win in straight sets and under an hour is an insane result. I'm super happy to be through.
I think I really trusted myself, played my shots without overthinking, and that was the weapon of tonight's match. I'm super happy I was able to stay focused and be in every point." The Belarusian, who is the reigning Cincinnati champion, improved her season record to 40‑7 as she continues to sharpen her game ahead of the upcoming Grand Slam.
Her next challenge will be against unseeded Czech player Sara Bejlek in the last‑16 round. The tournament also saw a notable withdrawal: world number nine Elina Svitolina pulled out before her third‑round clash with Wang Xiyu due to a lingering right‑ankle injury.
The Ukrainian had previously taken a medical timeout to treat a foot issue during her second‑round win over Tereza Valentova, a match she ultimately won 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0. Svitolina’s statement explained that the injury sustained in Toronto, compounded by the demands of the second‑round match, prevented her from recovering sufficiently for the next round. "Unfortunately I tried my best to recover, but the injury I sustained in Toronto and also pushed by the second round match, I didn't recover as I wish I could to get ready for my next round," she said.
"I have great memories of playing here and going deep in the tournament. Had a great match here two nights ago.
Very sad to pull out this round." Wang Xinyu will advance to the round of 16 via a walkover and is slated to face Madison Keys. Svitolina remains slated to compete at the US Open later this month, hoping to regain full fitness in time for the season’s final major.
The Cincinnati Open continues to serve as a crucial preparatory event for the US Open, offering players a chance to adapt to the hard‑court conditions they will encounter in New York. Sky Sports will broadcast both ATP and WTA action throughout the tournament, and fans can also stream matches without a contract through the NOW platform. As the competition progresses, the focus sharpens on who will carry momentum into the final Grand Slam of the year, with Gauff, Sabalenka, and other top contenders all vying for confidence and form ahead of the August 30 kickoff.