Coco Gauff made a statement ahead of the US Open on Sunday, dominating Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win her first title of 2026 at the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati.
The world No. 4 claimed her first WTA title since last October, when she triumphed in Wuhan, after falling short in finals in Miami and Rome earlier this year.
Her victory over world No. 3 Pegula secured Gauff’s second Cincinnati crown. She first won the tournament in 2023 before going on to capture her first US Open title that year.
The all-American final — the first in Cincinnati since Rosie Casals beat Nancy Richey in 1970 — proved a one-sided affair.
Gauff played down the idea that the victory should be viewed as a preview of what she might achieve in New York, but acknowledged the confidence it had given her.
“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,” Gauff said.
But she added that she was leaving Cincinnati “knowing that I can figure out these matches” even when she is not playing her best, while also taking confidence from the high level of tennis she produced throughout the week.
“Hopefully I can use the experience here in New York,” she said.
Gauff completed an impressive tournament with a 75-minute victory and will head to Flushing Meadows with renewed confidence when the US Open begins next Sunday.
It was a stark contrast to her experience in Cincinnati a year ago, when she suffered an early exit after committing 16 double faults and said she was left “in the parking lot in tears.”
“It’s a big difference, what a year can make,” said Gauff, who was so frustrated by her service problems last summer that she hired a new coach just 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.”
‘Amazing momentum’
This time, Gauff was rock-solid on serve, while Pegula — fresh from a hard-fought victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek — struggled to cope with her compatriot’s speed and aggression.
Gauff broke twice to race into a 4-0 lead and soon moved 5-0 ahead before Pegula finally got on the scoreboard. Pegula then broke back to briefly threaten a comeback, but Gauff responded immediately, breaking again to take the opening set after 34 minutes.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Gauff broke early to establish a 3-0 advantage, forcing Pegula to play catch-up once again.
She sealed victory with her first match point, bringing 12 days of competition at the sprawling Midwest venue to a close.
The win leveled the pair’s career head-to-head record at 5-5 and gave Gauff her second victory over Pegula this season, following her quarter-final win over her compatriot at Wimbledon.
Pegula, however, was encouraged by her own week as she looked ahead to the season’s final Grand Slam.
“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.”
AFP
