Iga Swiatek defeated Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-0 in the second round of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on Sunday.
The victory marked a strong start to the tournament for the former WTA world number one, who entered the competition as the defending champion after winning the title in Cincinnati in 2025.
The match was also the Polish player's seventh consecutive victory, following her tournament triumph at the National Bank Open in Toronto on Thursday, after which she moved quickly to Ohio to begin her campaign from the second round.
Arango, representing Colombia, created early difficulties for Swiatek by breaking her serve in the third game of the opening set. However, Swiatek responded immediately by taking control of the court, breaking Arango's serve twice and conceding just one further game to claim the first set 6-3.
Swiatek increased her dominance in the second set, completing a 6-0 shutout while allowing Arango to win only five points across the entire set.
International media reaction
Media outlets worldwide commented on Swiatek's victory, highlighting her fast recovery and momentum after her victory in Canada. Tennis Channel noted that the result raised her record to seven consecutive match wins overall and seven straight wins at the Cincinnati tournament as she progressed into the third round.
The official WTA website emphasized that questions had surrounded how Swiatek would handle the rapid turnaround following her title win in Toronto on Thursday. The website reported that she answered those questions with confidence on Sunday with her straight-sets victory at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Tennis website tennisuptodate.com praised Swiatek's performance as a great comeback, describing her second set as masterful after Arango was restricted to just five points. Additionally, tennistemple.com reported that the newly crowned Toronto champion lost no time in dominating her opponent to secure her place in the next round.
Tournament background and next match
Swiatek is Poland's top tennis player and a multi-time Grand Slam champion who previously held the top spot in the WTA rankings. The Cincinnati Open, played at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, is a major hard-court event on the WTA calendar that serves as a key warm-up for the US Open.
Her opponent in the next round, Maria Sakkari, is a prominent Greek professional tennis player who routinely competes at the highest level of the international tour. Swiatek will face Sakkari in the third round as she continues her title defense in Cincinnati.
