Jasmine Paolini will not defend her runner-up points at the Cincinnati Open after withdrawing from this year’s event due to an ongoing injury.
The world No.15 hasn’t played on the Tour since reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, where she lost to Marta Kostyuk. Paolini has already skipped events in Washington and Toronto due to a left foot injury. At the time, she explained her decision to withdraw from those two events was to give her more time to rest.
“We’ve decided that I won’t be in Cincinnati,” Paolini wrote in an Instagram story on Friday.
“After last year’s final, I was really looking forward to being back, but now the focus is on being 100% ready for the US Open and the rest of the season.”
Paolini was defending 650 points in Cincinnati following her run to the final last year. In 2025, she defeated Grand Slam champions Barbora Krejcikova and Coco Gauff to reach the title match. She was denied the trophy by Iga Swiatek, who won in straight sets.
As it currently stands, the Italian is ranked 15th in the world but is likely to fall further down the standings as a result of her latest withdrawal. It is mathematically possible she could leave the top 20 before the US Open, but this depends on the results of those ranked lower than her.
Assuming she is fit, Paolini is expected to return to action at the US Open, where she reached the third round last year. Her best result in New York was reaching the fourth round in 2024.
So far this season, Paolini has produced a win-loss record of 15-13. Her best performance was at a WTA 500 event in Madeira, Mexico, where she reached the semi-finals. The only other tournament she has reached the quarter-final stage at in 2026 was Wimbledon.
The US Open will get underway at the end of this month.
