Sabalenka squeezes out a win on sixth match point in Cincinnati

Aryna Sabalenka clinched a hard-fought victory at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters, overcoming Talia Gibson 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) in a match that lasted just under two hours. The world number one, who has now secured three titles in 2026, needed six match points in the 12th game of the second set before ultimately winning. Gibson, representing Australia, had saved five match points in the previous set.

Sabalenka acknowledged the challenging weather conditions, stating, "I'm super tired, this is crazy weather." She had won the Cincinnati title in 2024 and aims to build momentum for the upcoming US Open, where she seeks her first Grand Slam title of the year. Other notable matches included Elena Rybakina's straight-set win over Taylor Townsend, Mirra Andreeva's dominant performance against Oleksandra Oliynykova, and Emma Raducanu's continued presence in the tournament.

Meanwhile, men's action saw Felix Auger-Aliassime advance after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Daniil Medvedev secured a 6-4, 7-5 win over Marco Trungelliti.