Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 Sunday to win her second Cincinnati Open title, completing a dominant week that produced five straight-set victories and produced the first all-American women’s final at the tournament in 56 years.
The last time two American women played for the Cincinnati title was in 1970, when Rosie Casals defeated Nancy Richey. The 2026 final came together when Pegula eliminated defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals Saturday and Gauff defeated Sara Bejlek, setting up a fifth career meeting between the two Americans, with the head-to-head now tied at five wins apiece.
She raced to a 5-0 lead in the first set before winning it 6-2. Pegula fought back to 5-4 in the second set but could not prevent the close, with five of six break points converted.
What Gauff said
She described the week as a long journey and said she is a night-and-day different player compared to last year. She was careful not to overread the Cincinnati title as a US Open predictor, saying one week of good results does not guarantee anything in New York. But she said the quality of her matches this week should give her useful experience to carry forward.
In her on-court interview, Gauff addressed Pegula directly, telling her she does not like seeing her on the other side of the net but loves playing alongside her. She credited Pegula as one of the few players who was kind to her when she first arrived on tour, saying that gesture stayed with her family.
What Pegula said
Pegula acknowledged that Gauff played at a high level throughout the match and said she did not feel she played badly herself. She noted that the more you try to construct a point, the harder it becomes, because the champion thrives when given space to run and create. She described a dangerous and confident champion as a significant threat heading into the US Open.
The Cincinnati-to-Open connection
The last time Gauff won the Cincinnati title was in 2023. She went on to win the US Open that year for her first Grand Slam title. Whether that sequence repeats is uncertain, as she noted, but the pattern is not lost on those following her form.
Pegula’s best previous Cincinnati finish had been a final-round loss to Aryna Sabalenka in 2024. This was her second career Cincinnati final and her second meeting with Gauff in a final, with she also won their previous final at Wuhan last year.
The broader tournament picture
The all-American final was one of several notable American performances across the week. Four American women reached the quarterfinals, the most since 2004, and Tommy Paul upset top seed Alexander Zverev on the men’s side. Arthur Fils won the men’s title, defeating Frances Tiafoe in three sets.
The Cincinnati Open serves as the final major tuneup before the US Open, which begins its main draw Monday in New York. Gauff enters Flushing Meadows as a clear title contender in the minds of the tennis world after a week in which she lost no sets and showed the sustained play that defines championship tennis.
