Overview
- Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 in the Cincinnati final on Sunday, Aug. 23, overpowering Pegula with an early lead and closing the match in about 75 minutes.
- The win is Gauff’s second Cincinnati crown and her first WTA title of 2026, and it evens her career head‑to‑head with Pegula at 5-5.
- Pegula reached the final by beating defending champion Iga Świątek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in the semifinals, snapping Świątek’s 10‑match winning streak.
- Unseeded Sara Bejlek produced a breakout run in Cincinnati that included an upset of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka before falling to Gauff in the semis.
- Cincinnati is the last WTA 1000 event before the US Open, so results from this week—combined with Elena Rybakina’s earlier left‑heel injury and pending MRI—will shape late seeding, form narratives, and expectations for New York.