Even two weeks after the end of the Olympic Games in tennis, the impact of that important event is being seen on the players and their tour. It seemed like everything was supposed to be normal by now, but the Cincinnati Open has been an unexpected and ups and down-packed tournament so far. The tournament became unexpected when men’s gold medallist and defending champion Novak Djokovic withdrew from the tournament. This was followed by last year’s women’s champion, Coco Gough, and men’s runner-up, Carlos Alcaraz, who failed to keep up with fast hard courts and the wind.

The women’s top seed, Iga Swiatek, was also on the verge of defeat on a few occasions. She lost a set against 69th-ranked Varavara Gracheva in her first match and then also struggled in the quarterfinals against 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Saturday. But unlike Alcaraz and Gough, Swiatek did not give up in front of its own circumstances or its rivals. Her win against Andreeva came against an opponent who looks ready to challenge Swiatek’s No. 1 spot in the future.

Now Swiatek and Cincinnati will get a true marquee matchup when they face Aryana Sabalenka in the semifinals on Sunday. Swiatek and Sabalenka are now fully acquainted with each other. They have faced each other 11 times in the last three years, including this season’s crucial finals, both Madrid and Rome; with Swiatek taking an 8-3 lead. But in 2023 and 2024, their rivalry has mostly been limited to a single surface, clay court, and at the same time, spring. Out of his last nine matches, six have been on clay courts. This creates this match a unique opportunity on American hard courts, before the US Open.

“There are always high-intensity matches between us,”” Sabalenka said.” We’ve had a lot of great fights in the past, and I’m looking forward to another great match against them.” “We are both players who deserve to be in the semi-finals, the final, because we are working very hard, and I have a lot of respect for Aryana,”” Sviatek said.”

Sviatech have lost two sets in Cincinnati so far, while Sabalenca’s performance has been with a clean sheet. This may have been linked to the fact that Sabalenka, who did not take part in the Olympics, had already played two hard court tournaments before coming to Cincinnati, while Swiatek was just joining the North American swing. Sabalenka’s game is theoretically considered better for fast courts. They have big swing and first-strike style, while Swiatek is a clay-lover who can come under pressure on their forehand side.

“The courts are very fast, so it’s not easy to keep the ball inside sometimes,”” Swiatek says.” I think we make more mistakes, and we have to adjust ourselves for it and accept it.”

Sabalenka believes that although she has succeeded in countering these “tricky conditions”, the court will not decide the outcome of the match. “I would not say that the surface can help you win when playing against world No. 1.” Of course, there may be some small advantages, but against a player like Iga, I think I should focus on my game, and not expect any advantage from the surface.”

Sviatek is not an underdog on hard courts. He and Sabalenka have won 12 titles on this surface, and Swiatek defeated Sabalenka on the hard court in the 2022 US Open semi-finals and at the WTA Finals in Cancun last year. She also fought hard against Andreeva, who was in good form on Saturday, and won a match that she could easily lose.

Still, Sabalenka said after her quarterfinal win, “I’m back,” indicating that her early season sense of confidence is returning. With a win on Sunday she can show how far she has come, and create a new story for the US Open.