The road is clear for Jessica Pegula to build some momentum heading into the U.S. Open.
Pegula, who was the U.S. Open runner-up in 2024, got the easiest draw for the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open, based on the average world ranking of likely opponents in the 96-player event.
The tournament is set to begin Aug. 7 in southern Ohio.
Pegula should be pleased that her first match is against No. 79 Kimberly Birrell or No. 81 Anna Blinkova, as several of the top seeds got unlucky draws against likely opponents ranked in the top 50.
Pegula’s most likely quarterfinal opponent is Emma Navarro, who at No. 8 is the worst of the top eight seeds. Pegula also landed in the bottom half of the draw, safely away from top seed and reigning Cincinnati champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Who got the toughest and easiest draws for the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open?
Toughest draw for a top seed
This is how you treat a Wimbledon champion? Iga Swiatek got the worst draw among the top players, based on the average world ranking of likely opponents. Swiatek, the No. 3 seed, landed in the same half of the draw as Sabalenka. To get that far, she’ll have to navigate a quarter of the draw in which she might not face anyone outside of the top 50.
Toughest draw overall
Statistically, the qualifier who will face Naomi Osaka got the worst draw in the field. Because Osaka really should be seeded based on her projected ranking after her strong performance at the WTA 1000 event in Canada, the qualifier who winds up in this spot in the draw could theoretically face seven consecutive top 30 players.
That's on paper. In reality, it probably isn’t such a bad draw since Osaka faces a quick turnaround after her Canada run. Osaka might also receive a performance-based bye, which would be a really bad draw for the player who loses their spot in the tournament.
Best opportunity for an unseeded player
For a wild-card entrant ranked outside the top 100, Katie Volynets couldn’t ask for a better draw. She’ll face a qualifier in the first round. If she advances, she’ll face Sofia Kenin, who is slightly over-seeded at No. 24, based on up-to-the-minute rankings. Volynets wouldn’t run into a top 10 opponent until the round of 16.