Coco Gauff will no longer enter the US Open as the second seed after Iga Świątek’s victory at the Cincinnati Open reshuffled the top of the WTA rankings. The American, who had been holding onto the No. 2 position, is set to slide back to third place, while Świątek’s 24th career title ensures her return as the second seed for the season’s final Grand Slam in New York.
How Did Iga Świątek’s Win in Cincinnati Change the Seeding Picture?
Gauff, who reached a career-high World No. 2 for the first time on Jun. 10, 2024, had maintained that position for a combined 24 weeks across two different stints. But Świątek’s relentless consistency ensures she will reclaim the second seed behind Aryna Sabalenka when the US Open seeds are officially announced.
Gauff’s recent momentum came to a halt in Cincinnati. After reaching the quarterfinals, the American tennis star fell in a tough three-setter to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. Gauff did collect an additional 205 ranking points for the run, raising her tally to 7,874. Yet that proved insufficient as the live rankings reflected a fierce swap: Świątek vaulted to 7,933 points (+1,000 points from winning Cincinnati) while Gauff’s gain wasn’t enough to hold the position.
24yo Iga Swiatek, already a 6-time Grand Slam champion, wins a 11th WTA 1000 in Cincinnati after beating Jasmine Paolini in the final 7-5, 6-4.
She is back to world #2 and will be the 2nd seed at the US Open, avoiding world #1 and defending champ Sabalenka before the final. pic.twitter.com/wvq4t5YJO8
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 19, 2025
Świątek’s march through Cincinnati was nothing short of commanding. She didn’t drop a set all week, fended off an early 0-3 deficit in the final, converted every break point she had, and ultimately defeated Paolini 7-5, 6-4 to secure her 11th at the WTA 1000 level.
This victory lands her at No. 2 in time for the US Open draw, where she’ll be the second seed behind No. 1 Sabalenka. The Belarusian still holds a commanding lead with 11,225 points despite falling in the quarterfinals of Cincinnati.
Gauff has climbed steadily since her 2023 US Open triumph, earning her highest career ranking in June 2024 and returning again to No. 2 this May, where she will be staying until mid-August 2025. Świątek, by contrast, first became World No. 1 in April 2022 and held the top spot for 125 weeks across two lengthy stints, dominating the tour through late 2024.
Gauff and Świątek will each be making their sixth main draw appearance at the US Open, which begins on Aug. 24. Both players have already lifted the trophy in New York (Świątek in 2022 and Gauff the following year). Interestingly, they also share the same starting point at Flushing Meadows, having made their main draw debuts in 2019.
