COCO GAUFF MADE a statement on Sunday with the US Open approaching, dominating Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win her first title of 2026 at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati.
World number four Gauff claimed her first WTA title since last October in Wuhan, having come up short in finals in Miami and Rome this year.
Her victory over third-ranked Pegula gave her a second Cincinnati crown. Gauff earned her first in 2023, going on to claim the first of her two Grand Slam titles at the US Open that year.
Gauff polished off an impressive tournament with victory in 75 minutes and will head to New York riding a wave of confidence for the start of the US Open next Sunday.
It’s a far cry from an early exit in Cincinnati last year, which Gauff said left her “in the car park 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 last year that she hired a new coach days before the US Open.
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 Gauff’s speed and aggression.
Gauff broke Pegula twice for a 4-0 lead and was up 5-0 before Pegula got on the scoreboard, holding serve and clawing back a break.
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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, Gauff breaking on the way to a 3-0 lead and Pegula playing catch-up.
Gauff sealed victory on her first match point to conclude 12 days of tennis at the sprawling Midwest venue.
Arthur Fils reacts after winning a point during the game, Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Arthur Fils surged past Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati on Sunday.
The 22-year-old bagged his biggest career title and, with the US Open starting in one week, he is projected to jump from 21st in the world rankings to a career-high 11th.
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 since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto in 2014.
Fils swept through the opening set, dropping just three points behind his serve. Tiafoe turned the tables as Fils’s errors mounted in the second, but after receiving treatment before the third set Tiafoe was no match for the surging Frenchman in the third.
Tiafoe saved two match points in the final game, but Fils set up another with a lob and was able to celebrate as Tiafoe sent a forehand over the baseline to end it after 98 minutes.
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Gauff powers to win US Open warm-up in Cincinnati, Fils claims his biggest career title
COCO GAUFF MADE a statement on Sunday with the US Open approaching, dominating Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win her first title of 2026 at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati.
World number four Gauff claimed her first WTA title since last October in Wuhan, having come up short in finals in Miami and Rome this year.
Her victory over third-ranked Pegula gave her a second Cincinnati crown. Gauff earned her first in 2023, going on to claim the first of her two Grand Slam titles at the US Open that year.
Gauff polished off an impressive tournament with victory in 75 minutes and will head to New York riding a wave of confidence for the start of the US Open next Sunday.
It’s a far cry from an early exit in Cincinnati last year, which Gauff said left her “in the car park 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 last year that she hired a new coach days before the US Open.
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 Gauff’s speed and aggression.
Gauff broke Pegula twice for a 4-0 lead and was up 5-0 before Pegula 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, Gauff breaking on the way to a 3-0 lead and Pegula playing catch-up.
Gauff sealed victory on her first match point to conclude 12 days of tennis at the sprawling Midwest venue.
Arthur Fils surged past Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati on Sunday.
The 22-year-old bagged his biggest career title and, with the US Open starting in one week, he is projected to jump from 21st in the world rankings to a career-high 11th.
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 since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto in 2014.
Fils swept through the opening set, dropping just three points behind his serve. Tiafoe turned the tables as Fils’s errors mounted in the second, but after receiving treatment before the third set Tiafoe was no match for the surging Frenchman in the third.
Tiafoe saved two match points in the final game, but Fils set up another with a lob and was able to celebrate as Tiafoe sent a forehand over the baseline to end it after 98 minutes.
– © AFP 2026
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