Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win the 2026 Cincinnati Open women’s singles title on August 23, 2026, in a match that lasted about 75 minutes [1, 2, 3]. Gauff, ranked world No. 4, broke Pegula’s serve multiple times early in the match while serving with strong consistency and playing aggressively [1, 2, 3, 4]. Pegula is ranked No. 3 in the world, making the final a top-ranked showdown [1, 5, 3].
This victory marks Gauff’s first WTA title of 2026 and her first since winning in Wuhan in October 2025 [1, 5, 2, 3]. It is also her second Cincinnati title after her initial win in 2023, when she went on to capture her first Grand Slam the US Open three weeks later [1, 5, 2, 3, 4]. The 2026 Cincinnati final was the first all-American women’s final there since 1970, featuring Gauff and Pegula, two rising American stars [1, 2, 3, 4].
Gauff credited her improved form to resolving service issues that had troubled her in 2025, including hiring a new coach specializing in biomechanics ahead of last year’s US Open. “It’s a big difference, what a year can make,” she said [1, 6, 7, 3, 4]. Gauff added, "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" [5].
The Cincinnati final also evened the head-to-head career record between Gauff and Pegula at 5 wins each [1, 3, 4]. Pegula had upset defending Cincinnati champion Iga Swiatek to reach the final [1, 2, 3, 4]. After the match, Pegula acknowledged Gauff’s strong play: "I don’t think I played bad but you played a very high level, it was not fun to play against. You have amazing momentum heading into the US Open" [1]. She also said, "A dangerous, confident Coco is going to New York" [4].
On Gauff’s outlook, she cautioned against reading too much into Cincinnati results ahead of the Grand Slam: "I don’t think that this is an indicator that I’m going to do well in New York. Just knowing the quality wins that I had this week, hopefully I can use that experience" [4].
On the men's side, Arthur Fils of France won the Cincinnati men’s title the same day, beating Frances Tiafoe [5, 4]. The 2026 Cincinnati tournament lasted 12 days in total [1, 3].
The 2026 US Open main draw begins August 30, one week after Cincinnati’s final [1, 5, 2, 7, 3]. Gauff’s win there last year, three weeks after her 2023 Cincinnati title, raises expectations as she heads to New York.
