Swiatek powers past Paolini to clinch maiden Cincinnati crown

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek finally captured the Cincinnati Masters trophy for the first time in her nine-year professional tennis career.

The world No. 3 erased an early 0–3 deficit to defeat Jasmine Paolini in the finals, 7–5, 6–4, on Aug. 19, 2025, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Ohio.

With the momentum-boosting win, Swiatek ended her Cincinnati drought after failing to reach the finals in her past six appearances.

Paolini got off to a strong start, breaking Swiatek in the second game and holding her first two service games to take a 3–0 lead.

But the Polish star responded immediately, showcasing her experience and composure under pressure.

Swiatek broke Paolini twice and surged to a 5–3 advantage with improved returns and tactical shot selection.

After holding serve to get on the scoreboard, Swiatek neutralized Paolini’s kick serves with flat returns, effectively countering the Italian’s side spin.

Paolini tried to adjust with a flatter serve, but Swiatek—locked in and firing—won nine of the final 11 points in the opening set.

Unable to match Swiatek’s power and consistency, Paolini struggled to generate offense in the second set.

Her return game crumbled as Swiatek’s relentless pressure forced repeated errors, with several of Paolini’s flat groundstrokes hitting the net.

Swiatek sealed the title with nine aces, a 66 percent first-serve rate, 77 total points won, and 24 receiving points.

“This year, I really wanted it,” Swiatek said in her post-match interview.

“I’m just very happy. It’s nice to check off the list another tournament that I haven’t won. I have friends here. It’s a nice, relaxed tournament before New York.”