World number 4 and third favorite Spaniard Paula Badosa arrived in Australia on a busy Wednesday, while Ajla Tomljanovic opened her Cincinnati campaign with a late-night three-set win that stretched past 1:15 in the morning in a sparsely filled venue.
Badosa, a quarterfinalist last year in this event, faced a tough rematch against Tomljanovic, the rival she had defeated twice earlier this season in Australia. The scoreline read 6-7 (3), 6-0, 6-2, in a contest that lasted 2 hours and 26 minutes on broad daylight and under a desert-like heat that persisted into the night. The Spaniard started strong but could not sustain the momentum as the second set slipped away, and she never fully recovered.
The poor run continued for Badosa, who exited Toronto just after a physical problem forced her to retire during the match against Yulia Putintseva. The loss came eleven days before the United States Open, set to begin in New York on August 29. Tomljanovic, ranked 63rd in the world, snapped a ten-match streak against opponents from the top 10, a notable achievement in a season that has seen her rise toward the upper echelon of the rankings.
Alcaraz joined the Cincinnati motion in a brisk rally, ready to take on McDonald’s Cincinnati start after weather played a role in previous scheduling. The original center-court match planned for 20:30 local time was delayed by heavy rain at around 19:45, forcing a one-and-a-half-hour pause that came in the wake of Nadal’s clash with Borna Coric. The matchup shifted to the third court as the center court filled up, stretching well past 23:00 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
That shift brought a rocky but determined performance from Badosa, with sets fluctuating. She seized the opening frame 3-1, only for Tomljanovic to rebound and reshape the momentum. The Spaniard settled into focus, delivering strong rallies and clinching the first set 7-3 in a tiebreak after a tense sequence. Yet the second set saw a dramatic shift as Tomljanovic elevated her game with precision and power, racing to a 6-0 score that left Badosa scrambling for answers.
As the decisive frame began, Tomljanovic continued her surge, achieving a quick 3-0 run in the early exchanges and pressing the advantage. Badosa tried to steady herself, covering her head with a towel to regain composure and push back against the Aussie flurry. The Spaniard fought to break serve and mount a comeback, even drawing a break to shift the score toward parity, but Tomljanovic erased the challenge with a backhand winner that sealed the decisive break and extended her lead to the edge of victory.
With pressure mounting, Badosa’s forehand misfire and a final exchange of errors sealed the outcome. The match ended with Tomljanovic winning 6-7 (4), 6-0, 6-2 to advance to the round of 16, where she would meet Veronika Kudermetova of Russia. After the match, Tomljanovic expressed satisfaction with the win, noting the impression of facing one of the world’s best players in Badosa.
On the broader Canadian-American tennis scene, Muguruza faced a tough day as well, losing to Elena Rybakina in the opening round. The Spaniard’s struggles continued this season, with a rough run that has left her seeking form and confidence after several disappointing results. Rybakina, ranked 25th, seized the moment with a strong baseline game and aggressive returns, steering the match to a decisive finish and reinforcing her status as a formidable contender on hard courts.
The Cincinnati action provided a snapshot of the formlines shaping the summer hard-court season, with top players navigating long weeks of intense competition and late-night matches. The results added to a narrative of fierce rivalries and rapid momentum shifts as players sharpen their games ahead of major title challenges in the weeks to come.