Coco Gauff reigns supreme at the Cincinnati Open

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Coco Gauff delivered a masterclass for the ages after sweeping Jessica Pegula, 6-2, 6-4, to win this year’s Cincinnati Open championship at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, on Aug. 24, 2026.

Fresh off a lopsided semifinal win over Czech challenger Sara Bejlek, Gauff picked up where she left off, capping her Cincinnati Open campaign with five consecutive straight-set wins.

Gauff wasted no time buckling down to work after quickly racing to a commanding 5-0 lead in the first set, courtesy of her superb return game and baseline consistency.

Although Pegula showed some signs of life after scoring a much-needed break point for a 2-0 run, Gauff closed out the opener with a service hold to end the first set in just 31 minutes.

The second set became more interesting after Pegula made a crucial adjustment in the baseline exchanges, aiming to extend the rallies with ball placements in the corners in an attempt to wear down Gauff.

That strategic shift worked in the first phase of the frame, but Gauff immediately countered by targeting Pegula’s backhand midway through the second set.

By neutralizing her forehand, Gauff was able to force several unforced errors from Pegula, who just didn’t have an efficient work rate on her backhand during the championship match.

The icing on the cake came in the seventh game, when Gauff scored a clutch break point to establish a comfortable 5-3 advantage.

Pegula fought back with resilience, holding her serve to pull within a game, 5-4, but Gauff came to play, scored three down-the-line shots, and held serve to seal the deal.

Gauff wrapped up her magical Cincinnati Open run with 62 total points won, including five break points, two service aces, and 32 return points.

“It’s really a great joy to play tennis,” Gauff said during her championship speech.

“Thank you guys for holding it down. Thank you to my parents, my brothers back home, all the family and friends that have been praying for me and cheering for me, and I would like to thank God for just bringing me through this.”