Kazakhstan's top-ranked tennis player Elena Rybakina (2) confidently started at the Cincinnati Open-2026 super tournament in the USA. In the second round, the second seed won 6:3, 6:4 against American Taylor Townsend, the world's second-ranked doubles player and 94th in singles. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Starting the match well against a large, physically powerful, 30-year-old opponent, the Kazakhstani player took a 3:0 lead with a break. Taylor was close to making a comeback break. However, in the seventh game, Elena recovered from 0:40 and brought the score to 5:2. And a game later she served for the set to love – 6:3.
In the second set, Rybakina took a 2:0 lead with a break, but, as often happens lately, she gave away her serve and initiative at an even point – 2:3. Then, however, the Kazakhstani player made another break in the 9th game. And in the next she served for the match. 6:3, 6:4 in 1 hour 18 minutes. Aces – 5:4, double faults – 1:1. Total points won – 62:49.
In the third round, Rybakina will face Magdalena Frech (41). The Polish tennis player has already won two matches in Cincinnati. Against Croatian Antonina Ruzic (61) – 6:2, 7:5 and Elena Ostapenko (30) from Latvia – 6:1, 6:3. Rybakina has met Frech three times on court and won all matches.
After the elimination of Alexander Shevchenko and Yulia Putintseva, Kazakh tennis is represented in Cincinnati by Rybakina and Anna Danilina (6). Together with Serbian Aleksandra Krunic (5), Danilina will compete tonight in the opening match against the American-Danish duo Ann Li (141)/Clara Tauson (76).
The current WTA-1000 Cincinnati Open tournament is the 80th edition. The oldest tournament in the USA has never changed its location. The competition is held on outdoor hard courts in Mason, a suburb of Cincinnati (Ohio). And, traditionally, it precedes the fourth major of the year – the US Open.
The prize fund of the women's Cincinnati Open-2026 is $7.43 million.
Over the years, the tournament has been won by Americans Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Belgian Kim Clijsters, Russian Maria Sharapova and other stars.
The current champion of Cincinnati is Iga Swiatek (5), who recently beat Rybakina in the final of the Toronto tournament. In the semifinal of Cincinnati Open-2025, the Polish tennis player also defeated the Kazakhstani – 7:5, 6:3. And in the final she beat Jasmine Paolini from Italy – 7:5, 6:4.
At the current tournament, Swiatek will start with a match against Colombian Emiliana Arango (95), who defeated 46-year-old Venus Williams (615) – 6:2, 6:2 in the first round.