Serve Dominance Sparks Breakthrough
Elena Rybakina delivered a clinic in hard-hitting tennis, dismantling defending champion and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6–1, 6–4 in front of a captivated Cincinnati crowd. The Kazakh’s serve was nothing short of lethal—she smashed 11 aces, defended all her service games, and saved every one of Sabalenka’s four break-point opportunities. Her powerful baseline game and relentless depth seized the momentum early, leaving the defending champ rarely able to assert herself.
Sabalenka vs Rybakina – Set One Stats
| Statistic | Sabalenka | Rybakina |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.48 | 2.11 |
| Serve Rating | 186 | 303 |
| Aces | 2 | 4 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 58% (11/19) | 42% (10/24) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 55% (6/11) | 100% (10/10) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 38% (3/8) | 57% (8/14) |
| Break Points Saved | 50% (2/4) | 100% (1/1) |
| Service Games | 33% (1/3) | 100% (4/4) |
| Ace % | 10.5% | 16.7% |
| Double Fault % | 0% | 0% |
| Return Rating | 43 | 225 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 0% (0/10) | 45% (5/11) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 43% (6/14) | 63% (5/8) |
| Break Points Won | 0% (0/1) | 50% (2/4) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/4) | 67% (2/3) |
| Pressure Points | 40% (2/5) | 60% (3/5) |
| Service Points | 47% (9/19) | 75% (18/24) |
| Return Points | 25% (6/24) | 53% (10/19) |
| Total Points | 35% (15/43) | 65% (28/43) |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 7 |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Service Games Won | 33% (1/3) | 100% (4/4) |
| Return Games Won | 0% (0/4) | 67% (2/3) |
| Total Games Won | 14% (1/7) | 86% (6/7) |
| Max Games In A Row | 1 | 5 |
| Injury Timeouts | 0 | 0 |
| Set 1 Duration | 0h 29m | |
This was Rybakina’s sixth career win over Sabalenka (8 wins) and her first semi-final appearance in Cincinnati Open history—a milestone she’d long sought. The clean, confident 76-minute victory follows a string of strong performances in North America: semifinals in both Washington and Montreal, losing only to eventual champions.
Sabalenka vs Rybakina – Set 2 Stats (0h 47m)
| Statistic | Sabalenka | Rybakina |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.11 | 0.90 |
| Serve Rating | 273 | 298 |
| Aces | 2 | 7 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 50% (12/24) | 65% (26/40) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 75% (9/12) | 73% (19/26) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 67% (8/12) | 54% (7/13) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/1) | 100% (4/4) |
| Service Games | 80% (4/5) | 100% (5/5) |
| Ace % | 8.3% | 17.5% |
| Double Fault % | 4.2% | 2.5% |
| Return Rating | 73 | 178 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 27% (7/26) | 25% (3/12) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 46% (6/13) | 33% (4/12) |
| Break Points Won | 0% (0/4) | 100% (1/1) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/5) | 20% (1/5) |
| Pressure Points | 0% (0/5) | 100% (5/5) |
| Service Points | 71% (17/24) | 68% (27/40) |
| Return Points | 33% (13/40) | 29% (7/24) |
| Total Points | 47% (30/64) | 53% (34/64) |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 5 |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Service Games Won | 80% (4/5) | 100% (5/5) |
| Return Games Won | 0% (0/5) | 20% (1/5) |
| Total Games Won | 40% (4/10) | 60% (6/10) |
| Max Games In A Row | 1 | 1 |
| Injury Timeouts | 0 | 0 |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h 47m | |
Coach Reunion Fuels Rybakina’s Confidence
Off-court developments have clearly sparked on-court resurgence. Rybakina recently reunited with her coach, Stefano Vukov, following his successful appeal against a WTA code-of-conduct ruling. That restoration of coach–player unity appears to have unlocked a more aggressive and self-assured version of Rybakina, whose form appears to be clicking at just the right moment.
Rybakina herself highlighted the pivotal impact of her serve: “The serve has been key. We’re both big hitters. Today, I served really well… Hopefully I continue like this. Thank you for coming out,” she said, reflecting on how crucial precision and power have been to her resurgence.
Swiatek Semis Loom as Dream Clash Brews
Waiting in the wings is a blockbuster showdown with Iga Swiatek, another former Wimbledon champion now making her way into the Cincinnati semis. Swiatek dispatched Anna Kalinskaya 6–3, 6–4 to secure her place in the final four.
Swiatek holds a 5–4 lead in their head-to-head, having won their last three meetings. For Rybakina, a win here would represent not only her deepest WTA 1000 run of the year—now her third, after Dubai and Montreal—but also a bold statement that she’s stepping back into the elite circle.
Looking Around the Draw
Rybakina carved her path to this stage with impressive wins over Renata Zarazua, Elise Mertens, and Madison Keys—each match underscoring her growing momentum and return to form. Meanwhile, Sabalenka endured a grueling third-round win against Emma Raducanu in sweltering conditions, ultimately succumbing here despite showing her trademark grit.
The bottom half of the draw remains tantalisingly open. Varvara Gracheva faces Veronika Kudermetova, while Jasmine Paolini goes head-to-head with Coco Gauff—with the winner potentially poised to meet either Swiatek or Rybakina in Sunday’s final.
Conclusion
Elena Rybakina’s Cincinnati campaign marks a turning point—she’s found both results and rhythm. A dominant serve, renewed coach synergy, and fearless mindset have delivered her deepest WTA 1000 run yet. The Ohio stage feels like the prologue to something bigger. But legacies are written at majors—and the US Open is coming fast.