A disastrous blow: Jasmine Paolini set for top 20 exit following Cincinnati Open withdrawal

2026 has gone from bad to worse for Jasmine Paolini who continues her rapid demise. Poor results have come at a cost this year, but her North American hardcourt swing is currently being ravaged by injuries. She made the tough choice of withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open to prioritise her health for the US Open. In the process, there has been consequences.

Following withdrawing from the DC Open and ongoing Canadian Open, there were a lot of points on the table that Paolini was relinquishing. The first of a double header of WTA 1000 tournaments seemed the perfect chance for the Italian to kick on after a rejuvenated Wimbledon campaign where she reached the quarter-final.

However, a foot injury has prevented her from competing and has sidelined her at a frustrating and painful time. She cited the Cincinnati Open as a possible return date, but it has come too soon for the two-time Grand Slam finalist who will watch on from a distance.

She confirmed the news on social media. "We decided that I will not be present in Cincinnati. I was really looking forward to coming back after last year's final, but the goal is to be 100% for the US Open and the rest of the season. Thank you for your support."

What makes this withdrawal so significant is that Paolini reached the final of the event last year. Her form at WTA 1000 level last year was very impressive. The most noticeable run was in her home event at the Rome Open where she won the title.

Those points have come off along with her top 10 status in a huge blow that abolished her consistency at the top level and saw her stumble down the order.

The next big tournament on the horizon was the Cincinnati Open where she had a terrific run last year. Defeating Maria Sakkari, Ashlyn Krueger, Barbora Krejcikova, Coco Gauff and Veronika Kudermetova to set up a showdown against Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek. The Pole kept up her imperious form and came out on top 7-5, 6-4.

Paolini will see her 650 points earned from last year come off very soon. Currently sitting 15th in the WTA Rankings, she will drop out of the top 20 and be a sitting duck for other players to pounce above her.

Paolini is targeting a deep run at the US Open, but it will not be easy thanks to her poor form this year. Aside from that Wimbledon quarter-final, it has been pretty dismal with other factors coming into play.

She has not made it past the fourth round in any of the other Grand Slam or WTA 1000 events this year. Just one semi-final at the Merida Open with no finals since that Cincinnati run.

It is getting a bit desperate for the 30-year-old, especially when you look on the horizon. A quarter-final in the China Open and semi-final run in the Wuhan Open were brilliant runs but they could come back to bite her due to the poor recent form.

The last time she finished outside the top 20 at the end of the year was 2023 when she culminated in 30th. A third consecutive top 10 finish seems off the cards unless she can pull a rabbit out of the hat and produce some magic in one of the big tournaments coming up in 2026. The event now on the forefront of her mind if the US Open with a deep run possibly proving pivotal.