The Cincinnati Open gets underway this week, and in the women’s game, a significant anniversary will be marked.
2024 marks two decades since the famed event returned to the WTA calendar and became one of the most popular events on tour.
Plenty of big names will be in action but few will attract as much attention as Coco Gauff, the home favourite and defending champion in the women’s draw.
World No 2 Gauff will have plenty of home support behind her but she is trying to achieve something that has proven rather difficult since 2004.
She is trying to emulate Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka – and become just the third woman to win two Cincinnati Open titles in the Open Era.
Serena Williams – 2014, 2015
If Gauff does successfully defend her title in Cincinnati, she would become the second woman to do so – as Williams’ two triumphs came back-to-back in 2014 and 2015
Heading into 2014 it was one of the few titles that the legendary American had not won, beaten in the 2013 final – by Azarenka.
She did not have an easy run to the final in 2014, beating Sam Stosur, Flavia Pennetta, Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki to reach the Championship match.
But, after coming from a set down to defeat Wozniacki in the last four, it was smooth sailing in the final, downing former world No 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-4.
The following year Williams again faced Ivanovic but this time in the quarter-final, rallying from a set down to beat the Serbian.
The top seed then saw off Elina Svitolina in the last four, before a 6-3, 7-6(5) victory over Simona Halep sealed a successful title defence.
Victoria Azarenka – 2013, 2020
One of the most successful hard-courters of her generation, former world No 1 Azarenka beat Williams in a memorable final back in 2013.
The Belarusian rallied from a set down to prevail 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) in a thrilling final, a match that demonstrated why Azarenka was a tougher opponent for Williams than anyone else in that period.
It wasn’t a particularly easy road for her to get to that final either, having had to beat two fellow former world No 1’s – Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic – in the quarter and semi-finals respectively.
Seven years on, Azarenka’s second title came in odd circumstances, with the event held at Flushing Meadows as part of the US Open COVID bubble that year.
She defeated the likes of Caroline Garcia, Ons Jabuer, and Johanna Konta to reach the final, where she was handed the title thanks to a walkover from Naomi Osaka.
Can Gauff make it two titles?
It is quite incredible that Williams and Azarenka remain the only two-time champions since the tournament returned to the WTA circuit two decades ago.
That is not to say that the tournament has not produced great champions in those two decades; the opposite is true.
Former world No 1’s Maria Sharapova, Ashleigh Barty, Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport, and Jelena Jankovic all won in Cincinnati, joined by the likes of Li Na.
But now, Gauff will look to make history and become just the third woman in the modern era to make it two titles.
Her run twelve months ago was extraordinary, beating Iga Swiatek in the semi-final before downing Karolina Muchova in the final, amid a purple patch that took her to US Open glory at the end of the summer.
Her form at the moment is not up to that same level, with early losses at Wimbledon, the Olympics, and the Canadian Open in recent weeks.
However, she is still a huge contender to lift the title – and match two of the best players of the 21st Century.
