Top five title favourites in women's singles at Cincinnati Open 2024

Coco Gauff will aim to defend her title at Cincinnati Open 2024.

The women’s singles tennis tournament has earned the reputation of being the most unpredictable event, following some incredible results over the past few months. At the Paris Olympics, second seed Coco Gauff, considered the biggest competitor to Iga Swiatek, was eliminated in the third round.

World No. #1 Iga Swiatek, who boasts a staggering record on clay, was stunned in the semi-final against China’s Qinwen Zheng, and ultimately the Polish had to settle for a bronze.

Similarly, at Wimbledon 2024, none of the top seeds were able to advance to the business end except Elena Rybakina, who was eliminated in the semis. The plethora of uncertainty and unpredictability that this marquee event carries with itself is what makes it so exciting and intriguing.

As we shift gears from grass/clay to hard and fast-paced courts, many players will favor their chances, while others will vary in the daunting task, they shall counter ahead of themselves. Before the highly anticipated US Open, which starts on August 26, most of the big-name superstars from the women’s singles fraternity will be in action at Cincinnati Open 2024.

Here are the top five title contenders in women’s singles at Cincinnati Open 2024:

5. Qinwen Zheng

Qinwen Zheng made history at Paris Olympic 2024 when she clinched the gold medal by beating Swiatek and then Vekic to become the first ever Chinese to win a gold at the Olympics in tennis. Zheng has had a consistent showing across slams this year, commencing the year by reaching the final of the Australian Open.

However, she has been beaten by Swiatek and Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open and US Open in the past. Despite that, the Chinese must certainly be high on confidence and will be looking to build on her Olympic triumph by claiming her maiden Grand Slam.

4. Elena Rybakina

After missing the Paris Olympics, Elena Rybakina must be raring to go and will be looking forward to playing some hard-court tennis for the next couple of months. The hard-hitting Kazakh is known for her blazing forehands, traits that will aid her cause on fast-paced courts.

Rybakina will be looking to improve her composure in crunch situations, though. She always seemed to be the better opponent in her semi-final clash against Krejcikova at Wimbledon but was unable to close it out, which cost her dearly. She has had plenty of losses at the business end of tournaments and will hope to correct that if she wishes to lift her second major Grand Slam title.

3. Aryna Sabalenka

A tough yet steady recovery has been Aryna Sabalenka’s journey after Roland Garros, as she has missed out on Wimbledon and the Paris Games after suffering a devastating shoulder injury that kept her out of action for more than two months. She finally played her first tournament at the Canadian Open and, understandably, wasn’t at her best.

Despite being one of the best, game time is crucial, even for the third seed. The Belarusian will hope for a much better outing at the Cincinnati Open as she prepares herself to be all guns firing when she steps onto the courts of New York to go one step further from where she finished last time around and clinch her third Grand Slam trophy.

2. Coco Gauff

The reigning defending champion, Coco Gauff enters this year’s tournament in search of some much-needed form. The last couple of months have probably been one of the lowest points in the American’s career. She faced an early exit from Wimbledon and entered the Olympics, featuring in three events including mixed doubles and women’s doubles.

The 20-year-old had the honor of being America’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony and was expected to bring home at least a couple of medals. Unfortunately, Gauff had a debut Game to forget facing defeats in all three events. She suffered another early loss in the recently concluded Canadian Open.

During the midst of these results, she has also had altercations with her coaches and a huge fight in Paris with the chair umpire. With nothing going her way lately, she will be relieved to go back to the place where she won her maiden and only Grand Slam last year—The US Open, beating Sabalenka in the final. However, before entering the major, she will hope to regain her form with a successful stint in Cincinnati.

1. Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek’s biggest heartbreak in her tennis career came at the Paris Olympics at the hands of China’s Zheng which prevented her from claiming the gold. The Polish eventually did win the bronze but one could clearly understand that she wasn’t satisfied. Swiatek is arguably the equivalent of Nadal on clay and she will know this was her best opportunity to get her hands on the Olympic Gold.

Brushing off such a disappointment won’t be easy but with a challenging couple of months to follow. The 5 time Grand Slam champion will realize the importance of staying in the present. While her record on clay is second to none, she hasn’t enjoyed much success elsewhere except for her solitary Grand Slam win at the 2022 US Open.

Opponents like Gauff and Sabalenka, whose games are perfectly suited for hard courts, will pose the biggest hurdles for Swiatek as she hopes to claim her sixth Grand Slam title.

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