Sabalenka Survives, Rybakina Misses Her Moment
Aryna Sabalenka's grip on the world number one ranking has looked shaky for months, with Elena Rybakina repeatedly knocking at the door at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the Canadian Open. Cincinnati looked like another golden opportunity for Rybakina to finally overtake the Belarusian, especially after Sabalenka stumbled out in the round of 16 against Sara Bejlek. All Rybakina needed was a run to the final. Instead, she ran into a sharp Iga Swiatek and was ultimately forced to retire from their match with a leg injury while trailing 4-1 in the second set. Sabalenka heads into the US Open still on top, sitting at 8,575 points to Rybakina's 8,141.
Rybakina does get one more immediate shot at the top spot, however. As the defending champion at Flushing Meadows, she will have a significant points opportunity at the upcoming Grand Slam.
Eala Climbs, Swiatek Recovers, and Raducanu Falls
Alex Eala continued her remarkable rise by reaching another career-high ranking, generating real excitement heading into the US Open. Meanwhile, Swiatek entered Cincinnati having slipped to number 11 in the live rankings after dropping 1,000 points as defending champion. Her semifinal run was enough to drag her back up to number eight in the live standings, and a title would lift her to sixth overall.
Marta Kostyuk, sitting just outside the top ten at number 11, had a shot at her first top-ten appearance but was beaten in straight sets by Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals. Emma Raducanu, on the other hand, dropped nine spots to fall outside the top 60 after a difficult week.
TennisDraw users tracking the Cincinnati bracket had Rybakina as a strong title contender heading into the tournament, making her early retirement one of the week's biggest upsets.
