Which player retained the WTA No. 1 ranking after the 2026 Cincinnati Open?

Aryna Sabalenka retained the WTA No. 1 singles ranking after the 2026 Cincinnati Open.

Sabalenka entered the tournament as the top seed, but she did not reach the final; her run ended in the fourth round. Even so, she remained at the top of the rankings after Elena Rybakina retired during her quarterfinal match.

The ranking outcome is separate from the tournament result. Coco Gauff won the title, Jessica Pegula finished runner-up, and Iga Świątek—the defending champion—lost to Pegula in the semifinals. A player's ranking depends on the broader WTA points system, not simply on who wins one event. Cincinnati was classified as a WTA 1000 tournament, so its results carried significant ranking consequences.