Iga Swiatek completed her Cincinnati trophy collection on Monday evening, defeating Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 to capture her first Western & Southern Open title. The Polish star's 11th WTA 1000 crown moves her within two titles of Serena Williams' all-time record of 13, while also elevating her back to world number two ahead of the US Open. In a nervy final that featured intense battle and many opportunities for both players, Swiatek's superior conversion rate and mental fortitude proved decisive against the Italian, who was appearing in her first Cincinnati championship match.
Road to the final
Swiatek has had a perfect week in terms of results and efficiency, not losing any set before the final, and as it occured, winning the whole tournament with 5 straight set victories. She was not seriously tested up to the semifinals, where she faced Elena Rybakina who denied the hit clash between Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, surprisingly defeating the world number one in a crushing way in quarterfinals. The first serious test against the Kazakh was passed very well, as Swiatek continued the trend of utilizing her serving very well (82% points won from first serve) and created much more pressure than Rybakina (24 pressure points to 15).
Paolini needed to grind harder to get into final, especially in the decisive stages where she brought the remarkable comeback over Coco Gauff to win down from losing a first set by 2-6. The semis against Veronika Kudermetova was also not a cakewalk, as the Russian forced a decider, where Paolini eventually prevailed with final score 6-3 6-7(2) 6-3. She has also spent 3 hours and 20 minutes more on the court than Swiatek prior the final - caused by the longer battles fought and the fact that the Pole had one day off due to Marta Kostyuk's withdrawal before the round three.
First set comeback
The final began in shocking fashion as Paolini raced to a commanding 3-0 lead, breaking Swiatek's serve twice in the opening games. The Italian's aggressive baseline play and consistency caught the six-time Grand Slam champion completely off guard, with Swiatek struggling to find her rhythm against Paolini's relentless pressure. The early deficit marked the first time all week that Swiatek had faced such adversity, having not dropped a set en route to the final. The momentum shift came suddenly and decisively. Swiatek found her range on the return, immediately breaking back and then holding serve to level at 3-3. The Pole then broke again for 4-3, showcasing the mental resilience that has defined her season. Five consecutive games saw Swiatek surge ahead 5-3, completely reversing the early narrative with her trademark heavy topspin forehands finding their targets and forcing Paolini into defensive positions.
Serving for the set at 5-4, Swiatek faltered unexpectedly. Paolini saved a set point and broke back to level at 5-5, injecting fresh drama into the contest. The Italian's fighting spirit was evident as she extended rallies and forced errors from Swiatek's racquet. However, the pressure of the moment told on Paolini in the eleventh game. Swiatek broke for the third time in the set to lead 6-5, then produced a commanding love hold to secure the opener 7-5 after 58 minutes of intense tennis.
Second Set Roller Coaster
The second set began with both players trading breaks twice in the opening six games, the nerves of a final evident in their shot selection. Neither could establish any rhythm on serve, with 10 break points created in those first six games alone. At 3-3, the match hung in the balance, both players knowing the next breakthrough could prove decisive. The Pole saved two crucial break points at 3-3 with aggressive serving, then immediately pounced on Paolini's serve to break for 4-3. The Italian's error count climbed as she pressed for winners, with several forehands sailing long under pressure.
Serving at 4-5, Paolini faced immense pressure. Swiatek earned two match points but couldn't convert, Paolini saving both with brave shot-making including a spectacular forehand winner down the line. However, on the third match point, Swiatek's relentless returning finally paid dividends. An ace sealed the victory 6-4, completing the match in one hour and 49 minutes.
Efficiency was the key
The numbers told the story of Swiatek's clinical efficiency when it mattered most. She converted all of 6 breakpoint chances, while Paolini prevailed just 4 despite creating 10 in whole the match. The aforementioned pressure created by Paolini throughout whole the match was not just a slogan, as it was the Italian who produced more pressure points (25) than Swiatek, however winning just 7 out of 19 crucial points on the own serve was just not enough despite the competitive battle in bouth sets. Swiatek hit nine aces to Paolini's zero, but the chances for Paolini came out of nowhere as it was quite worse serving day for the new Cincy champ. Swiatek won 67% of her first-serve points in compare to 80+ recorded in previous two matches. 44% of second serve points was also not as impressive as in previous rounds, but significantly higher than Paolini's just 30.
Historical achievement and Rankings movements
This victory marked several milestones for Swiatek. At 24 years old, she became the youngest player to win 11 WTA 1000 titles since the category's inception in 2009. Her Cincinnati triumph means she has now won or reached the final at every WTA 1000 event except Montreal, where her best result remains a semifinal. The title also extended her perfect 6-0 head-to-head record against Paolini, including victories at the 2024 Roland Garros final and this year's Bad Homburg semifinals.
The rankings implications are significant heading into the US Open. Swiatek's victory elevated her back to world number two, overtaking Coco Gauff in the official list and closing to within 500 points of leader Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA Race. It promises this battle to be the tasty one, knowing the Swiatek's great run of form ahead of the US Open with 14 wins in recent 15 matches including two big titles and Sabalenka looking for the last chance to win the Grand Slam this year. Paolini moves up to 8th place in official rankings and being 9th in WTA Race, closing the gap to the other contenders to take part in WTA Finals with just a little margin and having the hefty cusion of 800 points ahead of 10th place. Veronika Kudermetova moves up to 25th due to her great run into semifinals, booking the seeding spot at US Open.