The Hologic WTA Tour heads to the Western & Southern Open next week for the last big tour stop before the US Open. Coming on the heels of the Omnium Banque Nationale, Cincinnati serves as the second leg of the summer's back-to-back WTA 1000 tournaments.
With a full field descending on the Queen City, here's what you need to know:
When does the tournament start?
The Western & Southern Open is an outdoor hard-court tournament played at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. It is the seventh WTA 1000 tournament of the season. The tournament features a 64-player singles draw and 32-team doubles draw. The Wilson US Open Extra Duty will be used.
Main-draw play begins on Monday, Aug. 14.
When are the finals?
The singles final will be played on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 1:30 p.m.
The doubles final is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 19, not before 6 p.m.
A piece of #CincyTennis history dating back to 1899 is ready for a new chapter 💙🏆 pic.twitter.com/TKvSuh1JPr
— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 10, 2023
Who are the Top 10 seeds?
1. Iga Swiatek
2. Aryna Sabalenka
3. Jessica Pegula
4. Elena Rybakina
5. Ons Jabeur
6. Caroline Garcia
7. Coco Gauff
8. Maria Sakkari
9. Petra Kvitova
10. Marketa Vondrousova
Who are the defending champions?
Last year, Caroline Garcia became the first qualifier to win the title, defeating Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-4 in the final.
In doubles, Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez in the final, 7–6(7–5), 6–3.
When is the draw?
Main draw at Cincinnati (WTA 1000), where Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, and Elena Rybakina are the top seeds.
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 12, 2023
Notable 1R: Elina Svitolina vs. Caroline Wozniacki. #cincytennis pic.twitter.com/zwChR6hXTF
What is the prize money and ranking points?
First round: $12,848/1 point
Second round: $17,930/60 points
Round of 16: $31,650/105 points
Quarterfinals: $63,350/190 points
Semifinal: $138,000/350 points
Finalist: $267,690/585 points
Champion: $454,500/900 points
Key storylines
Caroline Wozniacki's comeback continues: At Montreal, The Dane won her first match in three years, where she came out of retirement to defeat Kimberly Birrell in straight sets. She bowed out in the next round to reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. She's been granted a main-draw wild card in Cincinnati. Her best result at the tournament came in 2014 when she made the semifinals before losing to Serena Williams.
Ons Jabeur returns to competition: The Wimbledon finalist skipped Montreal with a knee injury. She is still entered in Cincinnati, which will be her only hard-court tournament before the US Open where she made the final last year.
Iga Swiatek continues to hold off Aryna Sabalenka: The World No.1 ensured she would leave Montreal with the No.1 ranking after defeating Karolina Muchova to make the quarterfinals. Depending on the results in Canada, her top spot could be under threat again in Cincinnati. Last year, Swiatek made the Round of 16, while Sabalenka was a semifinalist.
Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff continue to build steam: The spotlight will be bright for the two top-ranked Americans in New York and they've both enjoyed solid summer hard-court seasons so far. Pegula made the semifinals in Washington D.C., while Gauff walked away with the biggest title of her career there. They continue to look sharp in Montreal in both singles and doubles.