Swiatek Defeats Rybakina To Qualify For Cincinnati Open Final

World number three Iga Swiatek earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Elena Rybakina on Sunday in the semi-finals of the 2025 Cincinnati Open to book a place in the final of the tournament.

Rybakina broke Swiatek’s serve to take a 5-3 lead in the first set. Swiatek responded by ripping off four consecutive games, breaking twice, to take the first set 7-5.

She opened up a 4-1 lead in the second set, survived two break points in the seventh game and held serve to punch her ticket to the finals.

Swiatek won 78% of points on the first serve and 67% on the second (compared to Rybakina’s 48%). Swiatek, who qualified for the WTA Finals with the win, has yet to drop a set in Cincinnati and is one victory away from her 11th career WTA 1000 title.

Rybakina was making her first career semifinal appearance in Cincinnati in six tries and contesting for her third WTA 1000 title. She defeated World No. 1 and reigning Cincinnati Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.

In addition to reaching the final in Cincinnati, She became the first Polish player in the Open Era — man or woman — to lift the singles trophy at the Wimbledon Open. It was the 23rd title of her career, placing her second among active players behind Petra Kvitova’s 31.

The Polish star was delighted to book a place in the final of the tournament.

Swiatek said: “It’s always a great feeling to qualify for the WTA Finals and an honor to compete as one of the Top 8 best players in the world. I’m super motivated to come back and give my best this year.”

Meanwhile, The WTA announced Sunday that Iga Swiatek has qualified for the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF, becoming the second player to secure her place following her run to the final at the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open.

Swiatek, the 2023 WTA Finals champion who captured the title without dropping a set, is set to make her fifth consecutive appearance at the season-ending tournament. She joined PIF WTA World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who secured her place in Riyadh in July.

The 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF takes place from November 1-8, 2025 and features the top 8 singles players and doubles teams on the PIF Race to the WTA Finals Leaderboard (with the 8th spot going to the singles player and doubles team that have won a Grand Slam if ranked No.8 to No.20).

Players and teams compete in a round-robin format with the singles champion lifting the WTA Finals Billie Jean King Trophy, and the doubles champions earning the WTA Finals Martina Navratilova Trophy.

Swiatek Defeats Rybakina To Qualify For Cincinnati Open Final is first published on The Whistler Newspaper