5 Things To Watch: Aryna, Jannik Launch Title Defense

Fritz, Fonseca, Swiatek Also On Busy Saturday Slate

By Richard Osborn

We’re in for a serious upshift on Saturday, when defending men’s and women’s champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka return to the blue-on-blue hard courts of the 2025 Cincinnati Open. Here are five things to track on a busy Day 3 of main draw action:

1 | ARYNA OPENS TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST ANOTHER MAJOR CHAMP

It’s a good thing Aryna Sabalenka took some time off after reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon, relaxing on the beaches of Mykanos, where the world No. 1 says she caught up on some much-needed rest. The Belarusian arrived in Cincinnati, in her own words, “fresh and ready.” The top seed will need all the energy she can muster when she opens her title defense on P&G Center Court in an early matchup of Grand Slam champions. She’ll face Czechia’s Marketa Vondrousova, who claimed their two most recent encounters, including a 6-2, 6-4 decision on grass this summer during Vondrousova’s trophy run in Berlin. “She won here last year, so it’s a big match for me,” said Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon titlist. “She’s a great hard-court player, but I feel like you need those matches to see your level, your shots, everything.” What makes Sabalenka, whose seeking her third WTA 1000 crown of the year, so tough? “Everything,” said the 59th-ranked Vondrousova, who has dealt with hand, wrist and shoulder injuries. “She got better in her movement. I felt maybe a few years back, when you made her run, it was a bit easier to win the point. Now I feel like she’s really good with her movement. She’s learned to play slices more. You have to play one more ball each time. Her serve is really big. It’s very tough. She’s No. 1 in the world for a reason.”

2 | JOAO TIME: SUPERSTAR-IN-THE-MAKING BRINGS A CROWD

Joao Fonseca has been the buzz of the men’s tour since capturing the 2023 US Open boys’ singles title, a feat that made him the ITF No. 1. A gifted 18-year-old with a massive forehand and all-court movement to match, the Brazilian has since cracked the Top 100 in the PIF ATP Rankings and earlier this year claimed his maiden tour-level title on clay in Buenos Aires, the youngest South American champion since Guillermo Perez Roldan in 1987, and the youngest Brazilian champion in the Open Era. If you caught him in action at the Miami Open, you know his yellow-jerseyed backers travel well, their partisan support often on display for all to see/hear. “Sometimes they come from Brazil just to see me in a tournament,” said Fonseca, who’s in for a first-time clash with 17th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in the second round. “I love being part of inspiring people, young kids, because I was the one three years ago who was inspired by the big guys. Now kids are inspired by me. It’s super-cool.” But the former Next Gen ATP Finals champ knows that with all the attention also come the expectations. “From one side, it’s good, the way that they support me wherever I go. Even when I was just playing Challengers, they were there supporting me. They travel when they see a promising player,” he said. “At the same time, it puts a little bit of pressure on you.”

3 | A RED, WHITE AND BLUE SHOWCASE

Four players amongst the Top 10 in the PIF WTA Rankings? U.S. champs at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros? ATP Masters 1000 Canada titlist Ben Shelton up to a career-high No. 6 on the ATP charts? It’s a heck of a time for American tennis. Fans will have a chance to see many a home-favorite in action on Saturday at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, including Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Madison Keys, Frances Tiafoe, Amanda Anisimova and Alex Michelsen. Fritz will be carrying a little extra edge into the tournament after a tough 6-4, 6-3 semifinal defeat at the hands of countryman and eventual first-time Masters champ Shelton in Toronto. The Californian is on a 19-4 run since the beginning of June, a productive stretch that includes grass-court titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne. Following a first-round bye, the fourth seed, a two-time quarterfinalist here, opens on P&G Center Court against fellow Southern Californian Emilio Nava, who dismissed 2022 Cincinnati Open champ Borna Coric in the opening round, 6-3, 7-5. “I’m super-excited. You don’t get too many matchups against Top-5 players,” said Nava, 23, who is set to crack the Top 100. “He definitely leads the charge. He’s been the No. 1 American for a while now. I’m just excited to compete.” Elsewhere, it’s Paul vs. Spain’s Pedro Martinez; Keys vs. Germany’s Eva Lys; Tiafoe vs. Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena; Anisimova vs. France’s Leolia Jeanjean; and Michelsen vs. France’s Corentin Moutet.

4 | POLE POSITION: IGA IS VERY MUCH HERE

Now three quarters of the way to the career Grand Slam after her triumph at Wimbledon, her first title of 2025, Iga Swiatek dismisses any notion that she was ever lost, ever searching for her game in recent months. “I wasn’t gone. I was there,” Swiatek insisted this week at the Cincinnati Open, where she’s reached the semifinals the past two years. “I think this is a concept made by the media. I think I had some challenges and some tournaments where I played really well, but still I lost in the semis, usually to a winner. It happens. It’s sports.” That the six-time major champion and former No. 1 is feeling on her game on the revamped courts to the Lindner Family Tennis Center is bad news for the competition — her second-round opponent, 45th-ranked Anastasia Potapova, included. Swiatek claimed their only previous encounter, blanking Potapova, 6-0, 6-0, last year in the Round of 16 at Roland Garros. The 24-year-old is seeking her 11th career WTA 1000 title, which would put her just two behind all-time category leader Serena Williams.

5 | SINNER STEPS BACK ONTO THE HARD COURTS

Like his WTA Tour counterpart Aryna Sabalenka, top seed and top-ranked Jannik Sinner is poised for back-to-back title defenses in both Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows. Stepping onto the hard courts for the first time since topping ‘Sincaraz’ counterpart Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, the Italian is clearly wowed by the sparkling new tournament grounds, which in a matter of one calendar year has undergone a $260 million renovation. “It’s amazing. It’s actually strange for us to come to a venue where everything is new. Everything has improved so much. I feel very happy and honored to have this kind of evolution. It’s great for our sport.” Only days away from his 24th birthday, Sinner will open his North American summer against Colombian qualifier Daniel Galan, against whom he’s 2-0.