Coco Gauff captured her second Cincinnati Open crown with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory over fellow American Jessica Pegula. The win marked her first title of the year and the 12th singles trophy of her career.
Displaying dominant baseline form and lightning mobility, Gauff surged to a 5-0 lead in the opening set before securing the match in 74 minutes. The championship marked the first all-American women’s final at the event since 1970. It also elevated Gauff alongside Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka as the only women in the Open Era to win multiple Cincinnati singles titles.
The WTA 1000 triumph provided a pivotal momentum boost ahead of her upcoming return to Flushing Meadows for the US Open.
In a post-match interview, Gauff spoke about her massive improvements over the last year.
“It was a long journey, but I’m happy,” Gauff said. “I think it’s night and day, the player I was last year to now,” Gauff said. “And I don’t think that this is an indicator that I’m going to do well in New York. Just knowing the quality ones that I had this week, hopefully I can use that experience.”
Pegula praised Gauff’s performance.
“I thought she just played at a really high level and didn’t really have many dips,” Pegula said. “I didn’t really think I played bad. The more you construct the point [against her], the worse it is because she almost likes to run. It was tough today. A dangerous, confident Coco is going to New York.”
“When I first came on tour, [Pegula] was one of the few players that was nice to me. That’s always stuck a long way with me and my family. I have so much respect for you. It’s an honor to share the court with you once again.”
Next up for Gauff is the US Open which begins on Aug.30.
