All-American Women's Final: Gauff vs. Pegula, 56 Years Later

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will play for the Cincinnati Open title in the tournament's first all-American women's final since 1970, when Rosie Casals beat Nancy Richey 6-3, 6-3. The match is Sunday on Center Court, after the men's final between Frances Tiafoe and Arthur Fils.

Pegula, the No. 3 seed, eliminated defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in the semifinal, coming back from a break down in the deciding set. It's her 45th win of 2026, more than anyone else on tour, for a 45-11 record. Gauff, the No. 4 seed, had an easier path: 6-4, 6-1 over Czech Sara Bejlek, the 20-year-old who beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(7), 6-4 in the round of 16.

It will be their tenth meeting, with Pegula leading 5-4. Gauff already won here in 2023 against Karolina Muchova, and a second title would make her the third player to do it since 2004, after Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. Pegula played the Cincinnati final in 2024 and lost it to Sabalenka.

Also at stake is Pegula's third title of the season; she's the top-ranked American on tour. She got here after eliminating Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals and Swiatek right after. Gauff closed out her semifinal in two sets, conceding almost nothing, and reaches the tournament's final match with far less time on court.