Coco Gauff is heading to the US Open with renewed momentum after winning the Cincinnati Open for the second time. The 22-year-old American defeated third-seeded compatriot Jessica Pegula 6-2 6-4 in just 75 minutes to claim her first title of 2026.
The victory makes Gauff only the third two-time Cincinnati champion, joining Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka.
Gauff dominated the opening set, racing to a 5-0 lead before closing it out 6-2. Pegula made the second set more competitive, fighting back to 5-4, but Gauff held her nerve to finish the match in straight sets. The fourth seed converted five of six break-point opportunities.
The title is especially encouraging ahead of the US Open. When Gauff won Cincinnati in 2023, she went on to capture her maiden Grand Slam title in New York three weeks later. This time, she arrives as a two-time major champion, having won the 2025 French Open in addition to her 2023 US Open triumph.
Cincinnati also ended Gauff’s wait for a title. Her previous WTA singles trophy came in Wuhan last October, where she defeated Pegula in the final.
Gauff’s road to the Cincinnati title included wins over Liudmila Samsonova, Ann Li, Marie Bouzkova, Marta Kostyuk, Sara Bejlek and Pegula. She dropped only one set throughout the WTA 1000 tournament.
Sunday’s victory also brings her career head-to-head with Pegula to 5-5. It was their second meeting in a final, with Gauff winning both.
The all-American championship match was a notable one as well, marking the first Cincinnati women’s final between two Americans since Rosie Casals defeated Nancy Richey in 1970.
