Overview
- Gauff defeated Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win the Cincinnati Open final on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, claiming her second Cincinnati title and 12th career WTA singles trophy.
- Pegula reached the final by beating defending champion Iga Świątek in a three-set semi that ended Świątek’s 10-match winning streak earlier in the tournament.
- Gauff advanced to the title match with a straight-sets semi win over unseeded Sara Bejlek, who had upset top players Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys to reach the last four.
- The result evens Gauff and Pegula’s rivalry at 5-5 and boosts Gauff’s standing as a form favorite for the US Open while influencing Race/WTA point and seeding calculations.
- Their match was the first all‑American women’s final at Cincinnati since 1970, and Gauff’s Cincinnati form recalls her 2023 run when she won Cincinnati before capturing the US Open.