Pegula and Gauff set up first all-American Cincinnati women's final in 56 years

Pegula outlasts Swiatek in three sets

Jessica Pegula advanced to the Cincinnati Open final on Saturday after defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in a match lasting two hours and 47 minutes. The encounter began 30 minutes late because of rain and was paused again after two games before windy conditions complicated play on both sides. The opening set required more than an hour and featured seven breaks of serve, concluding when Swiatek hit a volley into the net. Swiatek recovered in the second set and built a 3-1 lead in the decider, but Pegula wiped out the deficit. The American moved ahead 5-4 when Swiatek double-faulted on a fourth break point, then sealed the victory on match point with a service winner. The result marked Pegula's 45th win of 2026, the highest tally on tour this season, and the 300th tour-level victory of her career while halting Swiatek's 10-match winning run.

Crazy match today. A lot of back and forth, a lot of breaks. Really windy, kind of odd conditions. I felt like we were playing well and then not playing well. It was really tough to kind of get a gauge on the match.

Gauff creates all-American matchup

In the second women's semifinal, 2023 tournament champion Coco Gauff defeated unseeded 20-year-old Czech player Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1. Bejlek, ranked 35th in the world, had reached the final four by knocking out top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys. Gauff controlled the contest from the baseline to reach her second Cincinnati final and confirm an all-American title clash on Sunday. The matchup between Pegula and Gauff will be the first all-American women's final at Cincinnati in 56 years, since Rosie Casals defeated Nancy Richey in 1970. Pegula, who previously reached the Cincinnati final in 2024 when she lost to Sabalenka, is chasing her third title of 2026 following tournament wins in Dubai and Charleston. Swiatek will travel to New York for the US Open starting on 30 August, having won the previous WTA 1000 event in Toronto.

I'm always rooting for American tennis. I like to play someone that I get along with and have a lot of respect for, like Coco. I didn't realize it was so long since we've had a double American final. The crowd can just go out there and enjoy the match.

Tiafoe and Fils reach men's final

In the men's draw, Frances Tiafoe defeated fellow American Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 6-3, while Arthur Fils beat 10th-ranked Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4. Fils advanced to his first Masters 1000 final following a 45-minute rain and lightning delay, becoming the second French player to reach the Cincinnati final after Guy Forget in 1991. Sunday's contest between Tiafoe and Fils marks the first ATP Masters 1000 final played between two Black men. The winner will become the third Black player to capture a Masters 1000 title, joining Ben Shelton, who won two Canadian Open titles, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who triumphed at Paris in 2008 and Canada in 2014. Fils won his only previous match against Tiafoe in three sets at Miami in 2025. Tiafoe returned to the Cincinnati final after finishing as runner-up to Jannik Sinner in 2024.

It's awesome for, you know, for a bunch of kids looking up to us and want to be in our position. That's what it's about. It's always nice to be a part of history. Hopefully we can have more big finals like this having people of color, and I'm super pumped about it.