Coco Gauff secured her second Cincinnati Open title with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Jessica Pegula in the final on Sunday. This match marked the first all-American final at the tournament since 1970 and gave Gauff her first title of the year on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.
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With this win, Gauff joins an exclusive group of female players, being only the third woman, alongside Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, to win the WTA 1000 event twice. She previously won the title in 2023 before claiming her first Grand Slam championship at the US Open.
Gauff showcased dominance throughout the tournament, bouncing back from a set loss against Liudmila Samsonova in her opening match to win 12 consecutive sets, allowing only 32 games.
After the final, Gauff remained cautious about drawing conclusions relating to her US Open prospects, noting the boost in confidence she gained. She stated, "I think with each match, I was feeling more and more confident in trusting the work that I put in and the practice. Knowing that I can figure out these matches... I can play that great tennis that I felt like I was playing this week."
In the final, Gauff never trailed, initially taking a commanding 5-0 lead. Although she encountered some difficulty when serving for the match at 6-2, 5-2, she managed to break Pegula at love to conclude the match. Pegula remarked in her runner-up speech that Gauff was "like a backboard today," highlighting Gauff's strong performance.
Gauff demonstrated her skills effectively, winning 65% of points on her first serve compared to Pegula's 47%, and converting five of six break points. She maintained pressure throughout, winning 32 points during Pegula’s service games, facing deuce only once.
After reflecting on her journey, Gauff expressed satisfaction with her progress, saying, "I think it was a long journey, but I'm happy... I don't think that this is an indicator that I'm going to do well in New York, but hopefully I can use that experience."