By Trisha Ghosal
Every great season in tennis is punctuated by rivalries that redefine the rhythm of the sport. For Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, 2025 has been exactly that, a contest of contrasts that may well shape the road to the US Open.
Swiatek, the six-time major champion, has spent the year rediscovering her game. What began as a frustrating stretch, marked by semi-final exits and self-doubt, turned around in a single, defiant victory over Rybakina at Roland Garros. Down a set and a break, she clawed her way back, showing grit that reawakened the fighter within. That match flipped the script on their rivalry, reminding her she can hold her own against the very player who had often unsettled her rhythm.
Rybakina, meanwhile, has been steadily sharpening her blade through the North American swing. After battling through three-set marathons in Cincinnati’s opening rounds, she produced one of her most complete performances against Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals, 11 aces, no breaks conceded, and a straight-sets dismissal of the world No. 1. It was a reminder of what makes her such a dangerous opponent: clean power, measured composure, and an ability to rise to big occasions.
Their head-to-head tilts narrowly in Swiatek’s favour, 5-4, but the narrative is more layered. Rybakina won four of their first six encounters, including last year in Stuttgart, planting seeds of doubt in Swiatek’s game. But over the past eight months, Swiatek has tightened her hold, taking their last three matches, including that emotional turning point in Paris.
All of this makes today’s Cincinnati semi-final far more than just another clash. For Swiatek, it is a chance to prove her reclaimed confidence has staying power on the eve of New York. For Rybakina, it is about sending a message: that her big-hitting brand of tennis can still disrupt the Polish star, and that she is peaking at just the right time.
Both arrive at this match with momentum, Swiatek without dropping a set all week, Rybakina thriving after her biggest win of the summer. Whichever way it goes, the ripple effect will extend beyond Cincinnati. The US Open looms, and in a season where the women’s game feels open and unpredictable, this rivalry could decide not just who lifts the trophy in Ohio, but who carries the upper hand into the final Slam of the year.
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