It could well turn out to be Coco Gauff’s summer. Just two weeks after her tournament win in Washington D.C., the 19-year-old American won her first ever Masters title at the Western & Southern Open by defeating the Czech Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4 in the final. For the new world No. 6, who competed at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in April and who has previously won in Auckland (2023), Parma (2021) and Linz (2019), it was her fifth singles career success on the WTA Tour. She has thus made tennis history by becoming the first teenager to win three tournaments in a season since Bianca Andreescu in 2019. She is also the first teenager to win five career titles since Caroline Wozniacki in 2007.
“I’d like to thank the spectators for their great support and especially my team for continuing to believe in me despite all the ups and downs in the past few weeks,” said the 2022 French Open runner-up who went on to say: “I’ve had an amazing week in Cincinnati. It’s nice to see how this tournament has developed.”
In the men’s, Novak Djokovic (Serbia) defeated the Spanish world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz 5-7, 7-6(7) 7-6(4) in a tennis thriller lasting almost four hours. It has been the longest best-of-three sets final in ATP Tour history since 1990. The 23-time Grand Slam champion previously beat German Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.
Important US Open warm-up
As one of the most important tournaments in the lead-up to the US Open, the long-standing event in Mason, a Cincinnati suburb, is a big focal point year in, year out. Porsche Cars North America was a partner of the Masters 1000 event for a fifth time. For the almost 200,000 visitors to the Lindner Family Tennis Center’s spacious grounds, the sports car manufacturer was highly visible as a sponsor and as the exclusive vehicle partner. One of the hard courts was duly named the “Porsche Court” and Porsche was also the main sponsor of the Players‘ Party and invited guests to the prestigious event.
Iga Swiatek on the road with a Porsche Cayenne
The top-seeded tournament favourite and “Porsche Friend” Iga Swiatek succumbed to Coco Gauff in the semifinals after a hard-fought match that went to a deciding set. For the Pole, the Western & Southern Open was nevertheless excellent preparation for the US Open. She visibly felt very much at home in Ohio.
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“It’s nice that my partner Porsche is also supporting this fantastic tournament. I kind of feel at home,” said the four-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek. Like for the other top stars, the world No. 1 was also provided with a Porsche for the tournament week. The two-time winner of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix drove around in a Cayenne Turbo GT. “I really like it. It’s very sporty and has a whole lot of power. The only pity is that you can’t tap the full potential of the car in USA,” she said before letting on that her favourite Porsche is the Panamera: “It’s my big favourite. It’s the ideal car for daily use because it’s sporty and comfortable at one and the same time. And I just love its design.”
The Western & Southern Open was held for the first time in 1899 and is the oldest professional tournament in the USA that is still played at its original venue. As part of the US Open Series, it is an important port of call for the players en route to the US Open in New York. The year’s final Grand Slam will begin on 28 August. Iga Swiatek is the women’s defending champion.
Tatjana Maria claims her second WTA title of the season
Playing at the Barranchilla Open in Columbia, Tatjana Maria secured her second title of the season. The Porsche Team Germany player won the WTA 125 tournament after defeating the Frenchwoman Fiona Ferro 6-1, 6-2 in the final. Earlier this year in April, the 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist claimed the tournament in Bogota.