The 2025 Cincinnati Open witnessed a significant upset as Elena Rybakina stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals. Rybakina's commanding performance secured her a straight-sets victory, 6-1, 6-4, and a place in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz battled through a tough match against Andrey Rublev, ultimately clinching a spot in the semifinals with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory.
Rybakina's dominance was evident from the start, leaving Sabalenka struggling to find her rhythm. The first set was a one-sided affair, with Rybakina cruising to a 6-1 victory. Sabalenka showed resilience in the second set, pushing Rybakina harder, but it wasn't enough to turn the tide. Rybakina sealed the match with a 6-4 win in the second set, advancing to the semifinals in style. Rybakina's serve was a key factor in her success, as she delivered an impressive 11 aces compared to Sabalenka's four, and won 80.6 percent of her first-serve points.
This win marked Rybakina's fifth victory over Sabalenka in their 12 career meetings, highlighting the growing intensity of their rivalry. While Sabalenka dominated their early encounters, Rybakina has since turned the tables, holding a 5-3 edge over their last eight matches. Rybakina expressed her satisfaction with her serve in the on-court interview. She fired 11 aces and only hit one double fault. Sabalenka had five break-point opportunities but didn't convert any. Rybakina was lethal, converting 3 out of 5 break points.
Sabalenka has been a force in women's tennis throughout 2025, consistently reaching the later stages of major tournaments. She reached the finals of both the Australian Open and French Open, and a semifinal spot at Wimbledon. However, she hasn't claimed any titles this year. The Cincinnati Open proved to be another hurdle, as Sabalenka was unable to find her rhythm against Rybakina. Despite the loss, Sabalenka's consistent performances in 2025 demonstrate her resilience and talent, and she will look to regroup ahead of the upcoming US Open.
Elena Rybakina will face Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. Swiatek reached her third Cincinnati semifinal by outplaying Anna Kalinskaya. Swiatek holds a 5-4 lead in previous matches against Rybakina. Swiatek has never been to the final in Cincinnati and would love to head into the US Open with that momentum.
Carlos Alcaraz overcame Andrey Rublev in a thrilling quarterfinal match to reach the Cincinnati semifinals for the second time in his career. The Spaniard secured a tight 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory in two hours and 17 minutes. Rublev fought hard, raising his level after the opening set and forcing a decider. The Russian overcame a 5-3 deficit in the final set before Alcaraz broke his serve late in the set to seal the win.
Alcaraz claimed three more points than Rublev, playing slightly better behind his first and second serves. He was broken twice from two chances presented to Rublev, while converting four of six break points himself. Alcaraz will face Alexander Zverev or Ben Shelton in the semifinal.
With this win, Alcaraz extends his winning streak to 15 consecutive victories in Masters 1000 events, remaining undefeated in this tournament category since Monte-Carlo. Alcaraz joins an elite group of Spanish players, including Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, and Carlos Moya, in reaching this milestone. This performance allowed him to tie Carlos Moya for the third-most ATP Masters 1000 semifinals among Spanish players, with 12 appearances. Only David Ferrer (18 semifinals) and Rafael Nadal (76 semifinals) sit above him.
