Despite leading her Cincinnati Open final opponent, Jasmine Paolini, 5-0 in H2H battles, Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek didn’t leave any stone unturned. You see, she always comes with a plan. Before her maiden summit clash at the WTA 1000 event, the Pole said, “I’m going to have to prepare tactically, but I’m just going to kind of focus on myself.” And just like that, the former World No.1 and six-time major winner made her words come true on Monday. After a grueling – yet not-so-tough – fight, she succeeded in creating history in Cincinnati. However, she also ended up making a serious claim about her Italian rival – right before the next big challenge in New York.

The Cincinnati Open final saw Swiatek cruising her way to her first trophy at this tournament. Yes, Paolini tried to pose some threat, but the Pole was determined. In straight sets, after an hour and 49 minutes, Swiatek captured her 25th career title with a score line of 7-5, 6-4. Yet she found the Italian’s performance to be admirable. So much so that she snubbed both Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka in a what was a bold US Open prediction.

Complimenting Paolini for her efforts, Swiatek made a shocking claim for her 2025 US Open campaign. During the presentation ceremony, the Pole said, “Thank you everyone. First of all, great speech Jasmine. I don’t think I can beat that. Congrats for the whole tournament. As usual you’re playing great. Hopefully we’re gonna play the final at the U.S. Open in the next two weeks.”

Concluding her remarks, the World No.3 further admired Paolini saying, “Thanks for being such a positive person in the locker room. There’s not many of us who are so positive on a daily basis. It’s always good to see you. Congrats to your team for amazing effort and work. It was a pleasure.”

Interestingly, Swiatek has also emerged as a frontrunner when it comes to the rankings. And guess who she just went past on the list? None other than 2025 French Open champion and American star Coco Gauff. In fact, the Pole has now attained a strong lead over the 21-year-old following the glory in Ohio.

Iga Swiatek dethrones Coco Gauff after Cincinnati triumph

It seems Iga Swiatek is shocking herself only with the recent comeback on the court. Before Wimbledon, she wasn’t able to win a single WTA title in 2025. Despite deep runs, the Pole failed to reach any summit clash, let alone win any. But things started changing in her favor on the most unfavorable surface – grass. In Berlin, she succeeded in reaching the final before losing to Jessica Pegula. But it was the start of a remarkable return.

After she won the Wimbledon eventually, Swiatek wasn’t able to believe that she actually did it. And that, too, on grass where she previously struggled at the All England Club. “Tennis keeps surprising me and I keep surprising myself,” she confessed. “The fact it’s on grass, this makes it even more special and more unexpected, so the emotions are bigger. At Roland-Garros, I know I can play well,” she added while stating that “Here I wasn’t sure and I had to prove that to myself.” And she did indeed.

Following her Cincinnati win, Swiatek had a similar reaction on Monday. During the presentation ceremony she admitted, “I don’t know why I won tournaments that were like the last ones in terms of where I thought I would be playing well”

Meanwhile, Swiatek has achieved another key milestone after her Cincinnati victory. For the uninitiated, there’s been a shift in the WTA rankings. She’s now overtaken Coco Gauff in the race for the year-end number one list. The Pole currently has 7,103 points compared to Gauff who’s got 4,944 points. If Swiatek ends up winning the US Open, she will surely have the chance to reclaim the No.1 spot as well. Aryna Sabalenka is currently holding that position.

Do you think Swiatek can achieve the top spot once again and win the crown in New York after emerging as the new Cincinnati queen? Let us know in the comments below.