Coco Gauff powers past Jessica Pegula to win US Open warm-up in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI – Coco Gauff made a statement on Aug 23 with the US Open approaching, dominating Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win her first title of 2026 in the Cincinnati Open women’s singles final.

World No. 4 Gauff claimed her first WTA crown since October 2025 in Wuhan, China, having come up short in finals in Miami and Rome earlier in 2026.

Her victory over third-ranked Pegula gave her a second Cincinnati crown. She earned her first in 2023, going on to claim the first of her two Grand Slam titles at the US Open that year.

The first all-American WTA final in Cincinnati since Rosie Casals beat Nancy Richey in 1970 was a lopsided affair.

Gauff insisted it should not be considered a barometer for the US Open, but admitted it was a welcome confidence boost.

“I don’t think that this is an indicator that I’m going to do well in New York or anything like that to be honest,” she said, but added: “(I’m going in) knowing that I can figure out these matches (even if) I’m not playing my best, but also knowing that I can play that great tennis that I felt I was playing this week.

“Hopefully I can use the experience here in New York.”

Gauff polished off an impressive tournament with a victory in 75 minutes and will head to New York riding a wave of confidence for the start of the US Open on Aug 30.

It is a far cry from an early exit in Cincinnati in 2025, which the 22-year-old said left her “in the parking lot in tears” after she coughed up 16 double faults in defeat.

“It’s a big difference, what a year can make,” added Gauff, who was so bothered by her service struggles this time in 2025 that she hired a new coach days before the US Open.

“Last year I was just frustrated with my game, and I felt like I was declining,” she said.

“It’s not something any player wants to feel. You always want to feel like you’re getting better, at the worst, like just plateauing.”

This time around, Gauff was rock solid on serve and Pegula, coming off a hard-fought win over defending champion Iga Swiatek, had no answer for her speed and aggression. She broke Pegula twice for a 4-0 lead and was up 5-0 before her compatriot got on the scoreboard, holding serve and clawing back a break.

It was a brief reprieve as Gauff broke again to pocket the opening set after 34 minutes.

The second set was more of the same, with Gauff breaking on the way to a 3-0 lead and Pegula playing catch-up.

She sealed victory on her first match point to conclude 12 days of tennis at the sprawling Midwest venue.

Gauff’s win squared the career series between the two at five wins each. She won her second match this season against Pegula after beating her at Wimbledon in the quarter-finals.

The 32-year-old was not displeased with her own performance despite the defeat heading into the final Grand Slam of 2026.

“I don’t think I played bad but you played a very high level, it was not fun to play against,” she told Gauff during the trophy ceremony. “You have amazing momentum heading into the US Open.”

Meanwhile, in the men’s singles final, France’s Arthur Fils surged past American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati on Aug 23.

The 22-year-old bagged his biggest career title and is projected to jump from 21st in the world rankings to a career-high 11th ahead of the US Open.

Fils was on his phone to his parents only seconds after securing the victory, calling his father back home after becoming the first French player to win a Masters 1000 crown since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto in 2014.

“That was my dad on the phone, now I need to call my mum,” the delighted winner said at the trophy ceremony, lamenting only that his father missed one of his tournaments for the first time this year.

“Wow, that feels good,” he said. “It’s a lot of training, a lot of things, a lot of sacrifice.”

Fils, who missed much of 2025 with a back injury and months in 2026 with a hip ailment, added: “To be able to win one title like this means a lot to me.”

He was also cognisant of the fact that it was the first time two black players have met in an ATP Masters 1000 final, and told Tennis Channel he hoped it could inspire others.

“If they can watch us playing some great final like this and they can dream about it, it’s nice,” Fils said.

He swept through the opening set, dropping just three points behind his serve. Tiafoe turned the tables as his opponent’s errors mounted in the second, but after receiving treatment before the deciding set, he was no match for the surging Frenchman in the third.

The 28-year-old saved two match points in the final game, but Fils set up another with a lob and was able to celebrate as the American sent a forehand over the baseline to end it after 98 minutes.

The newly crowned Cincinnati champion said some quick reflection after the second set proved valuable to him in the third.

“I started the first set very, very strong,” Fils said. “In the second set, I lost a bit of focus, he put me under pressure.

“But I had a small talk with myself in front of the mirror after the second set. I said, ‘If you are going to lose, it cannot get worse than this, you need to fight’.

“I don’t have any words to describe this win,” added Fils, who admitted that after the injuries that slowed his rise, “there is a bit of relief”.

“It was a hell of a week,” he said. “We made a hell of a job, and it is not done yet.” AFP