The Cincinnati Open has proven to be one of the most unpredictable WTA events in recent times.

No woman has defended her title since 2015, and since then there have been nine different champions over the past nine years.

As Coco Gauff looks to retain her title, we look back at the women who have won this event over the past decade.

After winning her first Cincinnati title in 2014, Williams made it back-to-back titles after triumphing in one of the most dominant seasons of her career.

In a rematch of the 2014 final, the top seed battled past Ana Ivanovic in the last eight before a convincing semi-final victory over Elina Svitolina.

That was followed by a 6-3, 7-6(5) victory in the final over Simona Halep, claiming the title after dropping just one set en route.

15th seed and future No 1 Pliskova served her way to one of the biggest titles of her career at the tournament eight years ago.

Pliskova did not drop a set on her way to the last eight, where she battled seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets before a comfortable semi-final victory over Garbine Muguruza.

The Czech then produced an equally dominant display in the final, dispatching Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-1 for her first WTA 1000 title.

2017 – Garbine Muguruza

Fresh off winning the Wimbledon title, Spanish star Muguruza battled her way to the Cincinnati title in 2017.

After narrow victories over Madison Keys and Kuznetsova powered her into the last four, she downed Pliskova in a rematch of the 2016 semi-final to reach the championship match.

And, despite some tough matches early on, she stormed to victory, routing Halep 6-1, 6-0 for one of the biggest titles of her career.

2018 – Kiki Bertens

Unseeded Bertens defied the odds to claim one of the biggest titles of her career at the event six years ago.

The Dutch star beat second seed Caroline Wozniacki and fifth seed Svitolina on her way to the last four, where she rallied from a set down to defeat eighth seed Petra Kvitova.

And she pulled off another impressive comeback in the final, saving a championship point to beat Halep 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 and lift her first WTA 1000 crown.

Keys battled past the likes of Muguruza and fourth seed Halep to reach the last eight, where she convincingly dispatched Venus Williams before a semi-final win over Sofia Kenin.

The final against Kuznetsova was not easy but the American was able to get the job done in straight sets, winning 7-5, 7-6(5).

2020 – Victoria Azarenka

The 2020 edition was held in New York due to the COVID US Open bubble – but that did not stop 2013 champion Azarenka from reclaiming her title.

The former world No 1 eased past 15th seed Donna Vekic in round one and did not drop a set on her way to the last four, dispatching Ons Jabeur in the quarter-final.

Azarenka battled from a set down to defeat Johanna Konta in their semi-final, and then won the title after finalist Naomi Osaka was forced to withdraw due to injury.

2021 – Ashleigh Barty

Weeks after claiming her second major at SW19, Barty claimed her first and only Cincinnati title with an emphatic run through the draw.

The Australian dropped just two games against reigning champion Azarenka in round three, and then eased past ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova and Kerber to make the final.

Barty was a heavy favourite against surprise finalist Jill Teichmann and duly delivered, prevailing 6-3, 6-1 to lift the title.

2022 – Caroline Garcia

A stunning second half of 2022 saw former world No 4 Garcia storm to one of the biggest titles of her career two years ago.

Garcia came through qualifying and beat 4th seed Maria Sakkari in round two and seventh seed Jessica Pegula in the last eight, before a semi-final victory over sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka.

The French star then dispatched Kvitova 6-2, 6-4 to win the final and become the first qualifier to win a WTA 1000 title.

2023 – Coco Gauff

World No 2 Gauff comes in as the reigning champion after an epic run to her first, and currently only, WTA 1000 victory twelve months ago.

The seventh seed did not drop a set on her way to the last four, where she stunned Iga Swiatek in three sets – beating the world No 1 for the first time.

That powered her into the final, where she overcame Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4 to lift the title on home soil

“Have you ever had an unforgettable moment?” was a poll tennis legend Serena Williams raised after her amazing experience at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. While every second of her presence was “truly unforgettable” for her as well as the spectators, it is now time for Venus Williams to take the legacy ahead. As the glorious event is about to end, the authorities dropped surprising updates regarding the star-studded LA28 handover and the closing ceremony.

The United States is preparing for a big moment, not just to celebrate a massive line of 126 medals but also for the Olympic flag to be handed over to Los Angeles for the 2028 Games. This significant event is expected to set the stage for one of the biggest celebrations in Olympic history.

While Serena Williams carried the Olympic Torch in the Paris opening ceremony, it is time she hands over the honor to her sister Venus Williams as she steps into the spotlight to host the LA28 handover segment. The five-time Olympic medalist and tennis champion is announced to be the host of the LA28 Countdown.

This event will air after the closing ceremony on NBC and Peacock. Venus, known for her legendary tennis career, will guide the audience through a vibrant evening that will be focused on sharing a glimpse of the LA28 Games and the energy of California. The celebration is set to feature behind-the-scenes footage of the LA28 handover and appearances by Olympic legends Carl Lewis, Sugar Ray Leonard, USA Water Polo Hall of Famer Brenda Villa, and Paralympic swimmer and five-time medalist Rudy Garcia-Tolson.

“The countdown to LA28 begins with the Paris Closing Ceremony. As we conclude one of the most spectacular Games ever, Paris will hand over the Olympic flag to Los Angeles, who gets things started with a powerhouse lineup of musical superstars that will rock the world,” said Molly Solomon, Executive Producer, and President of NBC Olympics Programming.

Along with Venus, globally renowned artist Snoop Dogg, who is a California native, is also set to add a musical touch to the ceremony. Grammy and Academy Award-winning artist Billie Eilish, Grammy-winning group Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Grammy Award-winning artist H.E.R., also born and raised in California, are other famous names to make the evening memorable.

As these big names look forward to setting the stage on fire, Venus will be the one to guide millions of spectators through the star-studded evening. Along with the update spreading like a fever across all media channels, Venus also made sure to add a glimpse of it on her Instagram profile.

Venus Williams’ Instagram echos the enormous update

While the news channels are abuzz with updates on Venus Williams’ new gig at the Paris Olympics, she made sure to bless her followers with a confirmation. She recently shared a post on Instagram in collaboration with LA28 games’ official page. The post featured a picture of her in an adorable dress with a caption that highlighted her gig at the handover ceremony.

“5x Olympic medalist, tennis champion, entrepreneur, and now Host of the Countdown to LA28 Party, @venuswilliams is serving it all in the latest on the LA28 Games,” the post caption said. The engagement rate started touching skies, attracting likes and comments from fans and followers. Among the many responses that congratulated her on this victory, one comment was from Katerina Adams, the chairperson of Fed Cup.

When Novak Djokovic thinks he’s hit a winner on an important point, he often elongates his grunt as the ball comes off his racquet. So it was no surprise when he did just that in Paris on Sunday at the end of one of the most cathartic victories of his career, over Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic gold-medal match at Roland Garros.

In the second-set tiebreak, Djokovic sprinted down the homestretch and wasted no time crossing the finish line. On match point, he took the first forehand he saw, reached back a little farther than normal on his swing, made his grunt extend a little longer, and clubbed the ball with total confidence. Even the speedy Alcaraz, who normally gets to everything, could only hang his head and wave as it went by.

For me, the shot triggered memories of another, similar Olympic match point from 12 years earlier. This one belonged to Serena Williams, when she won her own long-sought singles gold medal, in a rout over Maria Sharapova on Centre Court. On match point, Serena also reached back a little farther to hit her serve, and sent an ace screaming straight down the T. Her celebratory yell seemed to come even before the ball had left her strings.

That Serena celebration didn’t just pop into my mind from nowhere. At the same time that Djokovic was inching, sometimes gingerly, toward gold, I watched  “In the Arena,” the ESPN documentary on Serena’s career. The juxtaposition made me think about their careers side-by-side.

Djokovic has 24 major titles; Williams finished with 23. Serena won four straight majors—the Serena Slam—in 2002-03 and 2014-15; Djokovic won four straight—the Djoker Slam—in 2015-16. They each won the first three legs of a calendar-year Grand Slam—Williams in 2015, Djokovic in 2021—before falling late at the US Open. Now, along with Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, and Rafael Nadal, they’re two of the five players who have won a career Golden Slam in singles. (Williams also has one in doubles with her sister Venus, just for kicks.)

The Golden Slam is not an ideal metric for measuring all-time greatness. It only became possible in 1988, and winning gold requires the stars to align in a way that even a dominant player can’t always control. Roger Federer might have one if Juan Martin del Potro hadn’t forced him to win a 19-17 third set in their semifinal in London in 2012; two days later, Andy Murray rolled over Federer for gold. Williams and Djokovic, the consensus GOATs of the Open Era, didn’t complete theirs until they were 30 and 37, respectively.

But winning gold at the Games does show an ability to seize the moment.

In tennis, there’s always another match, another tournament, another major coming down the pike. Not so in the Olympics.

The British sportswriter Simon Barnes has described the Games as being about Now, with a capital N. When you compete in them, you know that tomorrow won’t come for four years, which in the precarious life of a world-class athlete essentially means that there is no tomorrow—it’s now or quite possibly never. That was doubly true for Serena in 2012 and Djokovic in 2024. They had always wanted Olympic gold, and both knew this could be their last chance. But they took it.

The American and the Serb traveled different roads to those medals, and each represents a different type of peak moment in their careers.

Serena, who was entering a late period of post-30 dominance in 2012, lost just eight games in her last four matches, and beat Sharapova, a career Slam winner herself, 6-0, 6-1 in the final. She may never have been more unplayable than she was during that week.

Djokovic, at 37, is closer to the end than Serena was, and had a rockier road to gold. He tweaked a knee injury, and had to scrap to keep from going three sets against Stefanos Tsitsipas. While he cruised past a subpar Nadal in the second round, he had to dig as deeply as he ever has to edge the 21-year-old Alcaraz in two tiebreakers in the final. For Djokovic, this was a career capstone, the final piece in his puzzle, as he said, and the moment when he finally felt like he was “enough.”

Yet throughout his golden run, Djokovic reminded me of Serena. Specifically, the way she could look as if she was destined to lose a match to a younger and seemingly spryer opponent, only to decide at some point that she was going to win, and then, to your amazement, make it happen by playing the best tennis you think you’ve ever seen from her.

Djokovic did something like that against Tsitsipas. Down 1-4 in the second set to the Greek, he had his knee examined. Then, on more than one occasion, he let Tsitsipas get right up to the edge of winning the set. But Djokovic never looked alarmed, and never let Tsitsipas get over that edge. He saved break points at 1-4, and a set point later. By the time they reached the tiebreak, he was the stronger player again.

The final against Alcaraz felt similar. The Spaniard was favored, he had just beaten Djokovic in straights in the Wimbledon final, he’s 16 years younger, and at 4-4 in the first set he had five break points. Again, Djokovic wouldn’t let his younger opponent get over the edge. Again, once he got his teeth into a tiebreaker, there was nothing Alcaraz, the putative future of the sport, could do about it.

Serena was famous for not winning much for months, then locking in at a Slam and taking him the trophy. Coming to Paris, Djokovic hadn’t won a title in 2024, but he got the one he wanted most.

Not every day goes the same for everyone. Former Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams recently showed that even a legend like her has bad days. Two days back, she participated in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony and was spotted quite uncomfortable while carrying the Olympic torch on the Seine. While she somehow held herself together to avoid sheer embarrassment, the former WTA legend later disclosed what she went through at that moment.

Williams was invited to carry the Olympic torch across the Seine along with Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comaneci. The ceremony entertained the viewers with extravagant celebrations. However, Williams, dressed in a full-sleeve bodycon chiffon red dress, met an uncomfortable situation on the boat due to her motion sickness. Not only was she drenched in Paris’ rain but the former Olympic gold-medalist WTA star was visibly losing grip to stand on the boat.

She was slipping while she waved at the people while carrying the torch. Later that day, Williams shared her experience making people aware of her excitement to perform the act despite being uncomfortable on the boat. “Alright that’s a wrap on everything. It’s been heck of a night. I was in the boat and it was pouring rain, my lashes just came off, my hair came down. It’s a miracle I’m still put together. I thought for a minute I was in a wet t-shirt contest but I was at the Olympics,” she said.

Williams was also spotted standing nervously on the boat at some point. Despite trying hard to hold the torch, this former world’s no 1 tennis player handed it over to Comaneci, who helped Williams stand on the moving boat.

The clip on social media brought a moment of laughter among people and showed how celebrity athletes also face unexpected situations that land them in trouble. Not just Comaneci but Williams’ former colleague Rafael Nadal also helped her sit properly on the boat as she was slipping while nervously waving at the spectators.

Serena Williams’ misery didn’t end there as her husband faced another embarrassing moment at the ceremony. Despite being a famous businessman and sports investor, Ohanian didn’t seem popular enough in France compared to his talented wife.

Media commentators mistook Alexis Ohanian for Serena Williams’ umbrella holder

Williams attended the Paris Olympics opening ceremony with her elder daughter Olympia and her husband Alexis Ohanian. When Williams and her family started walking on the red carpet, unexpected rain started and Ohanian had to hold an umbrella for his family.

One Eurosport commentator mistook Ohanian for Williams’ umbrella holder and said, “She looks absolutely incredible, she’s got someone just behind us holding an umbrella. Those are the levels you aspire to, to have an actual umbrella holder behind you.” This statement caught the Reddit co-founder’s attention too. However, instead of being mad, Ohanian took it sportingly, and it certainly makes for a good anecdote!

Serena Williams’ presence as one of the Olympic torch-bearers is truly a moment of pride for all Americans. The way she handled her situation well despite her discomfort, Williams deserves a round of applause.

Serena Williams made a stunning appearance at the 2024 ESPY Awards alongside her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their 6-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.

The tennis legend graced the red carpet in a stunning black gown by Armani Privé while her husband opted for a timeless black Gucci suit.

Meanwhile, Olympia stole the spotlight in a silver Dolce & Gabbana dress, paired with metallic silver sandals.

As the host of this year’s ESPY Awards, Williams has had her hands full. During an interview with ABC News’ Will Reeve, aired Wednesday on “Good Morning America,” she opened up about the excitement and challenges of her new role.

“It’s really busy and it’s really fun to be Serena right now,” she said. “I love it.”

Balancing her professional commitments with motherhood has been a rewarding journey for Williams. After retiring from professional tennis, she welcomed her second daughter, Adira, last year.

In a candid conversation with Time in 2022, Serena discussed the tough decisions women often face when raising a family. “It comes to a point where women sometimes have to make different choices than men if they want to raise a family,” she explained. “It’s just black and white. You make a choice or you don’t.”

Serena also shared a humorous anecdote about Olympia’s reaction to her retirement. “Olympia doesn’t like when I play tennis,” she revealed, noting that her daughter was visibly excited when she announced her retirement. “It’s hard to completely commit when your flesh and blood is saying, Aw.”