Anna Kalinskaya, the No. 28 seed, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open for the first time in her career. Her recent victories include a come-from-behind win against No. 12 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round, a match that ended in the early hours of the morning due to rain delays. The win over Alexandrova was significant, as it was Kalinskaya's first in seven meetings with her.
Following her late-night match, Kalinskaya has publicly criticized the tournament and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for what she called "unfair" scheduling. After finishing her match against Alexandrova at 2:40 AM and getting to bed around 4:00 AM, she was scheduled to play her quarterfinal match against Iga Świątek at 11:00 AM the same day. Kalinskaya voiced her frustration on social media, questioning how players are expected to recover with such a quick turnaround.
Kalinskaya's quarterfinal match against Świątek is a rematch of their encounter in the 2024 Dubai semifinals, where Kalinskaya secured a victory. This recent run in Cincinnati follows a strong performance in Washington D.C., where she reached the final of the DC Open before losing to Leylah Fernandez.
