Preview: Cincy Women’s Semis

By Richard Osborn

Swiatek seeks title defense; Bejlek eyes first 1000 crown

[7] IGA SWIATEK (POL) VS. [3] JESSICA PEGULA (USA)

NOT BEFORE 3 P.M. | P&G STADIUM COURT

It’s been an odd year for defending Cincinnati Open champion Iga Swiatek, who, until her run to the National Bank Open title in Toronto earlier this month, hadn’t really been playing like the former No. 1 and six-time major singles titlist we know so well. But renewed by a 10-match win streak on the North American hard courts, she’s again playing with Iga-like authority.
“I needed to win some matches against good players to feel a little bit more confident,” said Swiatek, who advanced to the final four when Elena Rybakina retired with a foot injury trailing 1-4 in the opening set. “I would say I feel a bit calmer, more sure of what I’m doing, more confident in tough situations.”

“I feel like Iga’s kind of gotten back to her game a little bit, kind of found her footing and her base, winning matches like we’re used to seeing her win,” said the Pole’s semifinal opponent, American Jessica Pegula. “Iga is always scary.”

These foes are more than familiar with each other’s games. They’ve met a dozen times on the court, with Swiatek holding a slight 7-5 edge in the head-to-head. The 25-year-old claimed their most recent encounter earlier this year in the Rome quarterfinals, 6-1, 6-2.

“Jess has a great ability to predict where her opponents are going,” said Swiatek. “The ball is really coming hard off her racket. She’s tricky. For sure, it’s going to be a challenge. American players also are more pumped to play tournaments in the U.S., so I’ll be ready for her best version. We’ve played many tough matches against each other.”

Pegula, a finalist here two years ago, owns four WTA 1000 titles, her most recent coming earlier this year in Dubai. She leads her tour counterparts in match wins on the season with 44.

SARA BEJLEK (CZE) VS. [4] COCO GAUFF (USA)

NOT BEFORE 7:30 P.M. | P&G STADIUM COURT

It’s never easy going into the unknown. That’s what Coco Gauff will be doing when she faces off with Czech upstart Sara Bejlek for the first time in the 2026 Cincinnati Open semifinals. But if anyone is equipped to handle the uncertainty, it’s the two-time Grand Slam champ Gauff, who is all but at home on the courts of the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

“She’s such an athletic, fast player; really makes you earn every point. She’s a fighter,” said Gauff of her 20-year-old opponent, who this week is having the run of her life. “I think it’s going to be a tough match, because I feel like we have some similarities movement-wise. I’m looking forward to it.”

The ultra-athletic Bejlek, who cracked the Top 50 in the PIF WTA Rankings earlier this year when she nabbed the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi title as a qualifier, has been a giant killer this week, having taken down three former Grand Slam champions in countrywoman Barbora Krejcikova, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and home-turf favorite Madison Keys. The 5-foot-3 Bejlek will try for a fourth on Saturday when she goes up against Gauff, the 2023 US Open and 2025 Roland Garros winner.

Surprisingly, Gauff, the Cincinnati Open titlist three years ago, is still seeking her first trophy of 2026. Could it come here on Sunday?

“I feel like every match is getting better here,” said Gauff, 22. “I feel like I’m more decisive with my serve. Even if I go down a break or get broken, I know that’s more and more a rare occurrence. That gives me a little bit more confidence going for my shots, especially when I’m returning.”

A semifinalist in Dubai, Wimbledon and Toronto, and a finalist in Miami and Rome, Guff is focused on taking things a step or two further in Ohio.

“It’s about not thinking about it too much,” she said. “I think Rome was the only match where I felt like I was really nervous going into the final, and it showed. But the rest of the semis and finals I lost, I honestly wasn’t nervous going into it. I just didn’t play my best tennis. At Wimbledon, I was super close. On match point — that was literally the only point of the match I was nervous, which sucks. But it happens, and just being put in those positions, they’re going to give me more clarity for the next time.”