IGA Swiatek overcame a short turnaround after winning the National Bank Open title in Toronto Thursday, beating Colombian Emiliana Arango, 6-3, 6-0, on center court at the Cincinnati Open on Sunday (Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, PH time).
According to the Associated Press (AP), it was Swiatek’s seventh consecutive victory. The Polish star won the Cincinnati title last year.
“It’s not like I was super tired after Toronto,” Swiatek said in the AP report, two days after arriving in Cincinnati. “I knew I just needed a little bit of rest. Usually one day before a tournament, I’m already in my match mode. But this time, I wanted to spend every hour possible just chilling.”
Also Sunday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who has spent 95 consecutive weeks at No. 1 dating to Oct. 21, 2024, beat Australian Talia Gibson, 6-2, 7-6 (2). Sabalenka improved to 15-3 in Cincinnati since 2022.
Coming off her loss to Swiatek in the Toronto final, No. 2-ranked Elena Rybakina beat American Taylor Townsend, 6-3, 6-4.
Rybakina, who reached the Cincinnati semifinals last year, is seeking her 14th hard-court title after winning the Australian Open in January.
In the men’s tournament, No. 10 Taylor Fritz beat fellow American Alex Michelsen, 6-3, 6-4.
World No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5.
It was Auger-Aliassime’s first hard-court match since March after he withdrew from the Montreal tournament because of a lower back injury. It was the 11th meeting between the two, with Tsitsipas leading 7-4.
American Madison Keys outlasted Daria Snigur, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Sixth-ranked Mirra Andreeva dispatched Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova, 6-1, 6-0, for her 40th win of the year.
Daniil Medvedev beat qualifier Marco Trungelliti, 6-4, 7-5.
Brazilian Joao Fonseca, 19, became the third teenager to reach the third round in Cincinnati, joining Michael Chang in 1990 and Pete Sampras in 1991. Fonseca defeated Botic van de Zandschulp, 6-4, 7-6 (2). / LBG
