Cincinnati 2024: 5 favorites to win the women's singles title ft. Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek
The 2024 Cincinnati Open will host the best players in women's tennis this week. While some have already begun their hardcourt swing in North America, the rest will be joining the action after a busy summer in Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics 2024.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Zheng Qinwen, and Jasmine Paolini will be the high-profile names marking their return to the tour in Cincinnati. Zheng stunned the women's locker room with a tremendous gold medal finish at the Paris Olympics. She outclassed Donna Vekic in straight sets in the gold medal match 6-2, 6-3.
Americans at the Cincinnati Open will include the likes of Emma Navarro, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Danielle Collins. These players are among the top 15 players in the world and will be eager to impress on home soil.
Lets take a look at five players who have a good chance of winning the title in Cincinnati.
#5 Zheng Qinwen
Chinese No. 1 Zheng Qinwen is having the best season of her career this year. She's chalked up 30 wins from 42 matches, including a title-winning run at the Palermo Ladies Open and a historic gold medal triumph at the Paris Olympics. She was one win away from clinching the Australian Open but fell shy of beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Zheng has shown the ability to hang around with the best players on the court in the past. This year, she has exhibited a killer instinct and registered significant results. The youngster outfoxed the likes of Emma Navarro, Angelique Kerber, and Iga Swiatek en route to China's maiden singles gold medal accomplishment at the Olympics. She will be eager to follow up with a strong result in the Cincinnati Open and make a deep run.
#4 Coco Gauff: Defending champion at the Cincinnati Open
After a brilliant start to the season and consistent results on tour, Coco Gauff is going through a rough patch at the moment. The American recorded early exits at the Paris Olympics and the Canada Open last week, where she was outdone by Diana Schnaider in the third round. She will be hoping to turn things around at the Cincinnati Open and begin her title defense on a strong note.
Despite a sudden dip in form, Gauff has had a remarkable season so far. She's amassed 38 wins from 51 matches, including a title-winning run at the ASB Classic. The youngster also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and the French Open. She is not only the defending champion in Cincinnati but also the reigning US Open champion. Gauff will be determined to make a strong return to home soil.
3) Jasmine Paolini
Italian No. 1 Jasmine Paolini has been a breath of fresh air this year. She's had a staggering season so far, amassing 32 wins from 46 matches, including a title-winning run at the Dubai Tennis Championships. She also secured runner-up finishes at both the French Open and Wimbledon.
The 28-year-old has displayed exceptional tennis all over the globe and forced her name to be reckoned with among the top performers this year. She will be seeded fifth at the Cincinnati Open and enter the event on the back of a third-round exit at the Paris Olympics. Paolini's twinkle-toed movements and powerful all-around game can cause problems for her opponents in Cincinnati.
2) Elena Rybakina
Kazakh No. 1 Elena Rybakina is second on this list of favorites in the Cincinnati Open. She's had an exceptional season so far, collecting 40 wins from 48 matches, including title-winning runs in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, and Stuttgart. She also reached the final of the Miami Open but lost to Danielle Collins in straight sets.
Rybakina has been one of the most consistent players this year. She also impressed at the Majors by reaching the quarterfinals in Paris and the semifinals at Wimbledon. With some valuable rest under her belt and a solid record on hardcourt, she will surely be a formidable threat at the Cincinnati Open.
1) Iga Swiatek
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will be in the mix in Cincinnati, as she looks to claim her sixth title of the season. The Pole has once again dominated women's tennis this year with brilliant results on tour. She captured her second title at Indian Wells in March and also lived up to her billing on clay. Swaitek ran riot on clay by claiming tiles at the Madrid Open, Italian Open, and the 2024 French Open.
The 23-year-old will enter the Cincinnati Open on the back of a bronze medal finish in the Paris Olympics. She defeated the likes of Wang Xiyu and Danielle Collins en route to the semifinals, but couldn't tip the scales in her favor against Zheng Qinwen. The Chinese overpowered her in straight sets 6-2, 7-5.
While Swiatek finished last year on a strong note, she couldn't make a significant impact in any of the tournaments leading up to the 2023 US Open. She will be raring to go in the North American hardcourt tournaments this time around and add to her impressive CV on the WTA tour.