By CINCINNATI — Coco Gauff re-established her dominance on hard courts on Sunday night, sweeping past close friend and doubles partner Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to capture her second Cincinnati Open title.
The victory marks the 22-year-old’s first singles title of 2026 and places her among elite company. Gauff now joins Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams as the only women in the Open Era to win multiple titles at the Lindner Family Tennis Centre.
In a rare all-American final—the first in Cincinnati since Rosie Casals defeated Nancy Richey in 1970—Gauff needed just one hour and 14 minutes to dispatch Pegula, bringing their head-to-head record even at 5-5.
Gauff produced an aggressive, complete performance. Backed by an improved serve that has troubled her in past seasons, the American dictates play with lethal forehands, sharp backhands, and her trademark coverage out of the corners.
Pegula, 32, who entered the final aiming for her third title of the year after triumphs in Dubai and Charleston, candidly compared Gauff’s court coverage to hitting against a wall.
“I thought the level that she was playing at was extremely high,” Pegula said. “I didn’t really think I played bad… It’s just so hard when you play somebody that moves like that. She’s the best mover on tour, I think, by far. Just the way she’s able to defend out of the corners is better than anybody else… Right now, a dangerous, confident Coco is going to be hard going into New York.”
The victory represents a stark turnaround from Gauff’s experience at the tournament twelve months ago. After a quarterfinal exit to Jasmine Paolini in 2025, a distraught Gauff was left questioning her direction.
Rather than settling for a plateau, Gauff made bold technical and coaching adjustments alongside biomechanics specialist Jean-Christophe Faurel and Gavin MacMillan. The structural updates paid off, lifting her to a fourth career WTA 1000 crown.
“Last year I was in a weird predicament,” Gauff admitted. “I made sudden decisions that most people probably wouldn’t do before a Slam, but I think it was worth it. I feel like it’s night and day where I am from last year to now.”
Before this weekend, Gauff’s 2026 campaign featured strong runs—including runner-up finishes in Miami and Rome, alongside semi-final appearances in Dubai and Wimbledon—but had lacked a trophy. Breaking through in Cincinnati provides the perfect launching pad for Flushing Meadows.
The last time Gauff hoisted the Rookwood Cup in 2023, she parlayed that momentum directly into her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open.
Now holding a 40-13 match record this season and backed by renewed self-belief, Gauff heads to New York as one of the clear tournament favourites.
“Gavin and J.C. have done a great job, kind of reworking my mind and reminding me of the player I am,” Gauff said. “Now I’m in the mindset that I deserve everything that I have gotten so far, and I’ve worked really hard for it.”
