Ben Shelton and Iga Świątek have built significant momentum ahead of the US Open, making a strong statement by triumphing at the Canadian Open. Both players will now look to carry their winning form into the Cincinnati Open, having already arrived at the tournament venue following their victories in Canada.
Iga Świątek and Ben Shelton Arrive at the Cincinnati Open
After an underwhelming start to the season, Świątek silenced the “unfair judgment and hate” that had plagued her by clinching her first title of the 2026 season at the Canadian Open.
With impressive wins over the likes of Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina under her belt, the Pole capped off her stellar campaign by claiming a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win over world No. 2 Elena Rybakina to lift the WTA 1000 trophy in Toronto.
Świątek had little time to celebrate her triumph, however, with the Cincinnati Open already underway. Nevertheless, she arrived at the tournament venue in high spirits, looking to produce a strong title defense after winning her maiden Cincinnati title last year.
Meanwhile, in Montréal, Shelton successfully defended his Canadian Open title after defeating compatriot Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4) in the final. Like Świątek, the American quickly made his way to Cincinnati and promptly hit the practice courts upon his arrival, gearing up for a shot at back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 titles.
Having won all his matches in straight sets at the Canadian Open, Shelton expressed confidence that the efficient run will leave him physically ready for his campaign at the Cincinnati Open. He revealed that he was “completely destroyed” during last year’s tournament, where he lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.
“Definitely can compared to last year, I guess this is kind of back to his question as well, but winning the way that I won this week, it’s going to be a lot easier on my body to be ready for Cincinnati in a few days,” Shelton said in his post-match press conference.
“I was completely destroyed arriving in Cincy and we were just trying to survive there last year. I feel that physically I’m in a much better place this year,” he added.
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Following a first-round bye, No. 8 seed Ben Shelton will lock horns with Jaime Faria in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open. On the women’s side, No. 7 seed Iga Świątek is set to take on Emiliana Arango in the second round.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.