Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff will square off in the Cincinnati Open singles final on Sunday, August 23, 2026. The match marks the first all-American women’s championship at the tournament in 56 years, following hard-fought semifinal victories over Iga Swiatek and Sara Bejlek.
Tennis fans at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, are in for a rare slice of history on Sunday evening. World No. 3 Jessica Pegula and World No. 4 Coco Gauff have set up a championship showdown that mirrors a milestone not seen in tournament play since 1970, when Rosie Casals defeated Nancy Richey for the Cincinnati title.
Jessica Pegula Ends Iga Swiatek’s Title Defense in Three Sets
Getting to Sunday required an exhausting battle for Pegula. The top-ranked American fought past defending champion Iga Swiatek in a nearly three-hour semifinal that featured 13 breaks of serve on the outdoor hard courts. Rain halted early action at 1-1 in the opening set before Pegula capitalized on a crucial double-fault and a missed smash by Swiatek at 5-5 to take the first frame.
Swiatek rebounded to grab the second set and built a 3-1 lead in the decider. Pegula dug in, leveling the score at 4-4 before breaking serve again to close out the match 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. The grueling triumph marked Pegula’s 300th career main-draw win and her tour-leading 45th victory of the season while ending Swiatek’s 10-match winning streak.
“It was a really tough match. She (Swiatek) is in great form.”
Jessica Pegula, via Olympics
Pegula admitted that physical maintenance played a role in her recovery heading into the weekend. After the match with Amanda, I strained a little something in the middle of the match, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel,
Pegula told reporters, referencing her quarterfinal against Amanda Anisimova before taking the previous day completely off site.
Coco Gauff Dominates Czech Challenger Sara Bejlek to Reach Final
On the opposite side of the draw, 22-year-old Coco Gauff made smoother work of her semifinal. The 2023 Cincinnati champion dispatched Czech player Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1 to secure her spot. Bejlek had previously carved a surprising path through the bracket by upsetting top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys.
Gauff’s victory makes her the third-youngest player in the Open Era to reach multiple Cincinnati Open singles finals, trailing only Evonne Goolagong in 1973 and Vera Zvonareva in 2006 according to tour records. Having dropped just her opening set of the tournament, Gauff carries sharp momentum directly toward the upcoming US Open.
Head-to-Head History and Ranking Stakes at the Cincinnati Open
Sunday’s championship clash will be the 10th professional meeting between Pegula and Gauff. Pegula holds a narrow 5-4 overall head-to-head advantage, including a 3-1 record on outdoor hard courts. However, Gauff claimed victory in their only prior final meeting at Wuhan in 2025 and won their most recent 2026 encounter at the Wimbledon quarterfinals underlining the tight margins between the two compatriots.
Substantial financial and ranking rewards accompany the historic pairing. The singles champion will collect $1,085,200 alongside 1000 ranking points, while the runner-up takes home $564,920 and 650 points in both the PIF WTA Rankings and the Race to the WTA Finals.
Regardless of the final outcome, Pegula is projected to stay at No. 3 and Gauff at No. 4 in the PIF WTA Rankings. In the Race to the WTA Rankings, however, a victory would push Pegula up to No. 2, while a win for Gauff would elevate her to No. 5 heading into the final stretch of the hard-court season.
“It’s going to be a nice final to play against an American, so the crowd’s going to be against me, but I think I’m going to enjoy it.”
Coco Gauff, via Ssbcrack
Play on Stadium Court is scheduled to begin not before 7 p.m. local time on Sunday evening, following the conclusion of the men’s singles championship match between Frances Tiafoe and Arthur Fils.
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