There have been 10 different winners of the WTA Cincinnati Open since Serena Williams successfully defended her crown in 2015 and Iga Swiatek will be hoping she can follow in the footsteps of the legendary American after her 2025 success.
The Polish star is more renowned for her exploits on clay but she turned on the style last year, beating Jasmine Paolini in the final before reaching the last eight of the US Open.
A deep run at the Canadian Open was a welcome return to form for Swiatek, which may enhance her chances, but 2024 champion Aryna Sabalenka is struggling for consistency.
The world number one has crashed out in the last 16 in her last two tournaments at Wimbledon and in Toronto and will be looking to put those efforts behind her in Cincinnati ahead of the US Open, where she has taken the last two titles.
Coco Gauff was crowned champion in 2023, while her compatriot Madison Keys took the title back in 2019, and they are the only other two winners in the field.
Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva, Naomi Osaka, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova are all among those who believe they can make their presence felt.
WTA Cincinnati Open betting picks and predictions
Naomi Osaka to win WTA Cincinnati Open each-way (+1100)
The US Open, a tournament Osaka has won twice in 2018 and 2020, may be top priority, but the Japanese player is in such rude health that she is tough to ignore.
It has taken Osaka time to rediscover her best but her recent exploits suggest that she is edging ever closer.
Osaka, still only 28, made the quarter-final at Wimbledon in July, defeating world number one Sabalenka.
Her hard-court campaign has started with a semi-final run in Washington and a quarter-final effort at the Canadian Open, with this surface very much playing to her strengths.
All four of Osaka's Grand Slam title wins have come on a hard court and she could have a decent draw to work with in Cincinnati, where she was runner-up in 2020.
She is in the first quarter of the draw, but Elina Svitolina's deep run in Toronto could leave her vulnerable, while Sabalenka, a potential quarter-final rival, is operating way below her optimum.
Marta Kostyuk to win WTA Cincinnati Open each-way (+2000)
This tournament comes right on the back of the Canadian Open so it can sometimes pay to swerve those that reached the latter stages, especially with the US Open looming.
Kostyuk is a player who looks like she could soon challenge for Grand Slam silverware, so she has to be considered in a wide-open event in Cincinnati, and she did win a WTA 1000 title in Madrid earlier in the campaign.
There was no shame in losing in three sets against Swiatek in the last 16 of the Canadian Open last time out. She had overcome Keys in the round before and was a semi-finalist at Wimbledon before that.
The Ukrainian is up to world number 11, with more progress likely to come from the 24-year-old, and she is completely versatile regarding surfaces.
All about brute force, Kostyuk can be hard to beat when things click and she looks in a good place in the second quarter, where an inconsistent Andreeva and a busy Gauff are the biggest dangers.
Diana Shnaider to win WTA Cincinnati Open each-way (+6600)
Given the unpredictability of the women's competition and the sheer range of results, it is always worth having a longshot on side, and Diana Shnaider is dangerous.
Shnaider made her first Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open this season and she has been holding her form well on the hard court, making the semi-final in Washington before a quarter-final run in Toronto.
The Russian beat Jessica Pegula before bumping into an inspired Swiatek last time out in Canada and she should have the beating of Maja Chwalinska were they to meet in round three.
Rybakina could wait in the fourth round, but she was still in the semi-finals in Toronto, and backing that up won't be easy.
WTA Cincinnati Open odds
Player | Odds |
Aryna Sabalenka | +220 |
Elena Rybakina | +650 |
Coco Gauff | +650 |
Iga Swiatek | +800 |
Mirra Andreeva | +900 |
Naomi Osaka | +1100 |
Jessica Pegula | +1200 |
Amanda Anisimova | +1600 |
Marta Kostyuk | +2000 |
Linda Noskova | +2800 |
Elina Svitolina | +3300 |
Madison Keys | +3300 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
