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Coco Gauff Beats Jessica Pegula to Win Cincinnati Open

8/23/2026

39 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Gauff Wins Cincinnati

Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula to win the Cincinnati Open title on Aug. 23, 2026.
The final was the first all-American Cincinnati championship match since 1970.
Pegula ended Iga Swiatek’s 10-match winning streak in the semifinal, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Gauff hopes to become the third player since 2004 to win Cincinnati twice.
Pegula, who leads their head-to-head 5-4, said a quarter-final strain will not affect her final.

Summary

All-Black Showdown

The men's final will feature the first all-Black ATP Masters 1000 showdown in tournament history.
Frances Tiafoe said the match could inspire Black youth to pursue professional tennis.
Ben Shelton and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are the only Black men previously to win a Masters 1000 title.
Rain and wind caused multiple delays, forcing players to adjust to shifting conditions during semifinals.

History

Historical Context

Arthur Ashe broke barriers in 1968 by becoming the first Black man to win the U.S. Open and in 1970 helped the United States secure a third straight Davis Cup title. His pioneering success paved the way for broader representation, echoed in 2026 when Coco Gauff beat Jessica Pegula in Cincinnati’s first all-American women’s final and Frances Tiafoe reached the inaugural all-Black Masters 1000 final.

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Gauff Wins Cincinnati

Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula to win the Cincinnati Open title on Aug. 23, 2026.
The final was the first all-American Cincinnati championship match since 1970.
Pegula ended Iga Swiatek’s 10-match winning streak in the semifinal, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Gauff hopes to become the third player since 2004 to win Cincinnati twice.
Pegula, who leads their head-to-head 5-4, said a quarter-final strain will not affect her final.

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