Coco Gauff claimed her second women's Cincinnati Open championship on Sunday, defeating fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4. In the men's final, France's Arthur Fils secured his first Masters 1000 title by defeating American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0.
Gauff's victory sets up a potential strong showing at the upcoming U.S. Open, though she cautioned against direct comparisons. "I don’t think that this is an indicator that I’m going to do well in New York," Gauff said. "Just knowing the quality ones that I had this week, hopefully I can use that experience." She won five of her matches in Cincinnati in straight sets.
The women's final marked the first all-American matchup in the Cincinnati Open final in 56 years, with the last occurrence in 1970 between Rosie Casals and Nancy Richey. Pegula's best previous finish in Cincinnati was in 2024, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Gauff took an early 5-0 lead in the first set on Sunday before ultimately winning 6-2. Pegula mounted a challenge in the second set, narrowing the gap to 5-4, but Gauff closed out the match, converting five of six break point opportunities. The head-to-head series between Gauff and Pegula is now tied at five wins each. Sunday's match was their second final meeting, with Gauff also winning at Wuhan last year.
"I thought she just played at a really high level and didn’t really have many dips," Pegula said of Gauff. "A dangerous, confident Coco is going to New York."
Men's Final
The men's final was a historic occasion, marking the first time two Black players met in an ATP Masters 1000 final. Fils becomes the third Black man to win a Masters 1000 title, joining Ben Shelton and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
At 22, Fils is the youngest French champion in Masters 1000 history and the second French player to win the Cincinnati title, following Guy Forget in 1991. "It’s been a tough last year. I didn’t play the French Open (due to a hip injury). I lost early in Washington. People think that I’m done. But here we are. I got the title," Fils stated.
Tiafoe, appearing in his second Cincinnati Open final, was aiming to be the first American man to win the tournament since Andy Roddick in 2006. "I’m going to have two Cincinnati finals trophies at the crib. I wish they were both champion ones. Losing on Sunday sucks," Tiafoe commented. "I’ve had a tough summer. I was able to play five great matches and beat quality players."
Fils established an early lead in the first set, winning 12 of 13 points to go up 3-0. Tiafoe dominated the second set, quickly reaching a 3-0 advantage. During a break before the third set, Tiafoe received medical treatment for his upper left leg and lower back. "My hip bothered me a little bit, but that’s neither here nor there," Tiafoe said. "I’ll be alright in a week (for the US Open)."
Tiafoe saved three championship points in the final game, but Fils ultimately secured the victory. The Frenchman recorded 11 aces and won 71% of his first-serve points. He improved his record to 10-0 in deciding sets this year and 8-0 against American opponents. Fils had also won their previous meeting in Miami last year, also in three sets.
"It feels very good to have a trophy next to me, especially Masters 1000. Never won one before," Fils said. "You just have to stay positive and find a way to make it work. Being positive is going to help me in the next weeks in the US Open."