Iga Swiatek Makes Feelings Clear to Cincinnati Crowd as She Nears Coco Gauff’s Throne in Epic Win

Iga Swiatek has been on fire at the 2025 Cincinnati Open, showcasing her trademark precision and setting herself up to take back the World No. 2 ranking from Coco Gauff. The Polish star, who’s sitting pretty at third in the rankings, has been on fire lately. She took down Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets (6-3, 6-4) and then faced a tough match against Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, winning it 7-5, 6-3. If Swiatek wins the title in Cincinnati, she’d jump to 7,933 points, putting her 59 points ahead of Gauff.

This is a big change in the rankings race, with Swiatek looking to take back her top spot after Gauff’s unexpected quarterfinal loss to Jasmine Paolini. Swiatek’s journey to the final has really shown her ability to adapt, especially during her semifinal match against Rybakina. The Kazakh player, who had surprised Sabalenka in the last round, gave Swiatek a tough time at the start. However, the Pole’s consistent aggression from the baseline and smart adjustments made all the difference.

Swiatek is now just one win away from snagging her 11th WTA 1000 title, and she’s on the verge of passing Gauff. That would definitely send a strong message as we head into Flushing Meadows.

After her semifinal triumph, Iga Swiatek took a moment to address the Cincinnati crowd, blending humility with quiet confidence, stating, “Yes, for sure. I feel the love here and it’s a great place to be. And yeah, people of Cincinnati are so nice and anywhere we go, we feel like even though we’re here to play and everybody kind of knows us, we feel like we can have peace and just relax when we’re off the court. So thank you guys for coming and cheering for us and see you tomorrow.”

The crowd really felt this heartfelt acknowledgment, which strengthened Swiatek’s bond with tennis fans, going beyond just her amazing skills on the court. With Swiatek gearing up for the final, you can really feel the tension in the air. A win would not just give her the Cincinnati title for the first time, but it would also make her Sabalenka’s main competitor as they head into the US Open.

For Gauff, losing the No. 2 spot might just ramp up the pressure to bounce back in New York. Right now, all eyes are on Swiatek—a player who’s making waves with her unstoppable growth and real connection with fans, shaping her legacy in a big way. And just prior to her semi-final game, she shared some tips on how to tackle the Cincinnati heat.

Iga Swiatek stressed adaptability

When the Cincinnati sun beats down on center court and players start dropping like flies, it really feels like survival is the name of the game. With the temperatures regularly reaching the low to mid-30s °C (low 90s Fahrenheit) and that heavy humidity turning the courts into sauna-like environments, a lot of players have been feeling the physical strain. Even with all the chaos going on, Iga Swiatek has managed to keep her cool, sailing into the semifinals without dropping a single set.

So, during her quarterfinal post-match conference, when she opened up about handling the heat, she replied, “This kind of heat is like something that we just need to survive, and it’s not like we can’t. I think maybe giving five more seconds to use the towel or have more time to breathe, because it’s a bit harder, that would be nice. But besides that, I think we can handle it. It’s nice that we have the ice towels on a bench and the AC kind of next to us. So, this is for sure helpful. Without it, I think it would be much worse. But the only thing would be to maybe have two more seconds to use the towel. I’ll always be the player to ask for that.”

For sure, Swiatek’s knack for adapting and thinking ahead about survival really makes her stand out. But the heat didn’t really treat a lot of players well. Arthur Rinderknech collapsed on the court during his match with Felix Auger-Aliassime and had to retire from the game. More players, like Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Luciano Darderi, and Jakub Mensik, ended up retiring mid-match because of heat exhaustion. Francisco Comesana looked pretty dizzy during his match with Reilly Opelka.

Throughout the tournament, medical staff have been called in often as players hold onto ice towels and power through exhausting rallies in tough conditions. This really highlights her ability to adapt to situations that seem pretty extreme.