After a surprise first-round exit at this year’s Wimbledon, Coco Gauff regained her footing at the Cincinnati Open in Ohio. The American tennis icon breezed to the semi-finals before facing her biggest challenge yet, Jasmine Paolini. The Italian got the better of the world no. 2 in their previous two clashes, and this time it was no different, giving Iga Swiatek the opening she needed.

The 2025 Wimbledon champ had already climbed to the world WTA rankings after her maiden win in London. Now, with Coco Gauff falling to Paolini, the Polish tennis star was just one win away from climbing past Gauff in the ranking as well. And guess what? The Wimbledon champion barely broke a sweat at the P&G Center Court, beating the No. 8 Italian in straight sets. Naturally, the Cincinnati win begged the Aryna Sabalenka question.

That question came when Iga Swiatek sat down with the Tennis Channel desk after her second big win in a month. “Do you have your eye on the number one ranking for the end of the year?” asked the host. However, the 24-year-old didn’t have a black-and-white answer for the interviewer. “Honestly, if I’m going to play well, it’s going to be an effect of that,” Swiatek said during the interview.

“I’m just focusing on being a better player, and I’m not that kind of person that focuses on the rankings anyway,” Iga Swiatek told the Tennis Channel during her post-match interview. For now, Aryna Sabalenka sits atop the women’s world rankings list despite making it only as far as the Cincinnati Open quarterfinal against Elena Rybakina. However, that might change soon.

Iga Swiatek is heading for the US Open mixed doubles, which starts on Tuesday, and will return to fight for the singles title on August 24. And the champion seems to be in a great mood as she jetted off to New York with Carlos Alcaraz, despite the hectic schedule. The Tennis Letter posted a glimpse of the two champions thanking fans for showing up at Cincinnati.

Iga Swiatek is confident after her Cincinnati win

Besides thanking the fans for making her tournament experience in Ohio better, the 24-year-old expressed her shock after winning the WTA 1000 title. “I don’t know why I win the tournaments that we’re like the last ones in terms of what I thought they were going to be,” the Polish star admitted after winning in Ohio. However, Swiatek’s performance didn’t line up with her statement.

Although Iga Swiatek said she didn’t expect to win her 11th WTA 1000 title, the 25-year-old looked dominant every step of the way. Swiatek didn’t drop a single set en route to the title and maintained her flawless record in the final despite a strong challenge from Paolini. So it’s safe to say that the 2025 Wimbledon champ is going into the US Open with a confidence boost.

“Thank you [to my team] for forcing me to become a better player and learn how to play on all these faster surfaces. I’m kind of shocked and super happy, so thank you for the awesome support, to the team and to my family back home,” the tennis icon said after winning her second WTA title of 2025. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka finds herself in a precarious situation.

“She’s been so close but has fallen short so many times. She’s been World No.1; she’s the one who’s supposed to have all these titles,” former WTA pro Coco Vandeweghe said after Sabalenka’s exit from the Cincinnati Open. The Belarusian who beat Iga Swiatek at the Roland Garros semifinal dropped the finals. She’s also lost the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

“I think we gotta call question marks as to where she’s at,” added Vandeweghe. Then again, who knows? She may just turn things around at the US Open. Who do you think will retain the world No. 1 ranking by the end of the season? Tell us in the comments.