Gauff beats Pegula to lift Cincinnati Open title

Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula 6-2 6-4 in the Cincinnati Open final on 24 August 2026, claiming her first title of the year in 1 hour and 14 minutes.

After dropping the first set of her opening match to Liudmila Samsonova, Gauff won the next 12 games to secure the trophy in Cincinnati and became just the third two-time champion of the WTA 1,000 event, joining Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka.

When Gauff won the Cincinnati trophy in 2023, she went on to win her first Grand Slam title at the US Open three weeks later; by winning in Cincinnati this year she claimed her first WTA title since winning in Wuhan last October and is described in the report as a two-time major winner reinstated as one of the favourites at Flushing Meadows.

World number four Gauff dropped just one set in Cincinnati. "I think with each match, I was feeling more and more confident in trusting the work that I put in and the practice - knowing that I can figure out these matches," she said. "It's going to be tough in New York, but just knowing the quality wins that I had this week, knowing that I'm able to figure it out even if I'm not playing my best, but also knowing that I can play that great tennis that I felt like I was playing this week."

In the men's final, Arthur Fils beat Frances Tiafoe 6-3 1-6 6-0 to claim his first ATP Masters 1,000 title, becoming the first Frenchman to win a Masters 1,000 event since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto in 2014.

Fils, 22, has had his career disrupted by injuries but has now won two ATP Tour titles since returning in February after nine months on the sidelines with a stress fracture in his back. "Wow, that feels good. That feels good," said Fils, who rises to a career-high 11th in the world rankings.

Qualifying for the US Open started on Sunday, with the main draw beginning on Sunday, 30 August.