Sabalenka, Gauff and Andreeva Advance as Svitolina Withdraws | Cincinnati Open 2026

Cincinnati Open 2026 Roundup | Day 6:

The 2026 Cincinnati Open completed the third round on Tuesday, August 18, setting the field for the Round of 16 in Mason, Ohio.

Aryna Sabalenka raced past Xinyu Wang, Coco Gauff held off Ann Li, Mirra Andreeva continued her strong Cincinnati run, and Madison Keys advanced comfortably.

Elsewhere, Sara Bejlek produced another upset, Marta Kostyuk ended Sloane Stephens’ run, and Elina Svitolina withdrew with an ankle injury before her scheduled third-round match.

With the Round of 32 complete, Cincinnati is now down to its final 16.

Sabalenka Cruises Past Wang

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka delivered her most convincing performance of the tournament so far, defeating Xinyu Wang 6-1, 6-3 in just 54 minutes.

Sabalenka had been tested in the second set of her opening match against Talia Gibson, but there was considerably less resistance this time.

The top seed controlled the match from the beginning and never allowed Wang to establish a foothold.

Sabalenka advances to face one of Cincinnati’s surprise performers:

Sara Bejlek.

Bejlek Adds Alexandrova to Her Cincinnati Run

Sara Bejlek continued an impressive tournament by coming from behind to defeat No. 16 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

After dropping the opening set, Bejlek completely changed the direction of the match.

She conceded only three games across the final two sets to reach the Round of 16.

The result adds Alexandrova to a Cincinnati list that already includes former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova and Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Her reward is the biggest test yet: Aryna Sabalenka.

Gauff Holds Off Li

Coco Gauff advanced with a 6-1, 7-6(3) victory over fellow American Ann Li.

The No. 4 seed dominated the opening set, but Li made the second considerably more difficult.

Gauff was forced into a tiebreak before taking control of the breaker 7-3 and closing out the match in straight sets.

After needing three sets to overcome Liudmila Samsonova in her Cincinnati opener, Gauff has now reached the Round of 16 without being dragged into another decider.

She will next face Marie Bouzkova.

Bouzkova Edges Jovic in Two Tiebreaks

Marie Bouzkova ended the run of No. 13 seed Iva Jovic, winning 7-6(0), 7-6(5).

There was little separating the two players across the sets themselves, but Bouzkova proved stronger when both reached tiebreaks.

She dominated the first breaker without conceding a point before taking the second 7-5.

The victory sets up a Round of 16 meeting with Gauff.

Andreeva Passes Tjen Test

Mirra Andreeva continued her Cincinnati campaign with a 6-1, 7-6(5) victory over Janice Tjen.

The No. 5 seed appeared headed for another dominant performance after racing through the opening set.

Tjen responded strongly in the second, forcing Andreeva into a tiebreak before the reigning Roland Garros champion eventually closed out the match.

Andreeva has still not dropped a set in Cincinnati.

After conceding only one game against Oleksandra Oliynykova in her opener, she has now reached the Round of 16 with another straight-sets victory.

Next comes Marta Kostyuk.

Kostyuk Ends Stephens’ Run

Marta Kostyuk defeated wild card Sloane Stephens 7-5, 7-5 to advance.

Stephens had opportunities in both sets but was unable to convert them into a sustained advantage.

Kostyuk instead found a way through two tight sets to set up a meeting with Andreeva.

That gives Cincinnati another intriguing Round of 16 matchup between two players capable of making a deep run.

Keys Makes Quick Work of Siniakova

Madison Keys produced one of her strongest performances of the tournament, defeating Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-3.

Keys raced through the opening set and maintained control through the second to reach the Round of 16.

She has now recovered well from dropping the opening set of her first Cincinnati match against Daria Snigur.

Her next opponent will be Xiyu Wang, although the circumstances of that matchup were far from ideal.

Svitolina Withdraws With Ankle Injury

Elina Svitolina withdrew before her scheduled third-round match against Xiyu Wang because of a right ankle injury.

Svitolina had already been struggling physically during her previous match against Tereza Valentova, where she required treatment before recovering to win 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-0.

The injury ultimately prevented her from continuing in Cincinnati.

Wang advances by walkover and will face Madison Keys in the Round of 16.

With the US Open approaching, Svitolina will now turn her attention toward recovering in time for the final Grand Slam of the season.

Doubles Moves Into the Second Round

Women’s doubles also continued on Tuesday as Cincinnati moved into the second round of the 32-team draw.

The doubles competition is now running alongside the singles tournament and will accelerate quickly, with the quarterfinals and semifinals approaching later this week.

The Williams sisters’ Cincinnati reunion had already ended in the opening round, while Desirae Krawczyk and Storm Hunter were also eliminated earlier in the tournament.

That leaves the remaining seeded teams fighting for places in the latter stages as Cincinnati approaches championship weekend.

Round of 16 Is Set

With Day 6 complete, the Cincinnati women’s singles field has been reduced to 16.

Among the upcoming matches:

Aryna Sabalenka vs. Sara Bejlek
Madison Keys vs. Xiyu Wang
Coco Gauff vs. Marie Bouzkova
Mirra Andreeva vs. Marta Kostyuk

The other half of the draw features Linda Noskova, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Iga Swiatek, Diana Shnaider and Elena Rybakina among the players still chasing the title.

Eala’s run may have ended on Day 5, but Cincinnati now moves into a stage where almost every match carries serious weight.

The opening rounds are over.

The final 16 are set — and the road to the Cincinnati title is getting considerably narrower.

More from the WTA Cincinnati 2026 Roundup

Follow our daily Cincinnati 2026 coverage with singles and doubles results, notable performances and official WTA match highlights.

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