Coco Gauff and Arthur Fils Secure Cincinnati Titles Ahead of US Open

Coco Gauff secured her second women’s Cincinnati Open title after defeating fellow American Jessica Pegula with a score of 6-2, 6-4, as both players look ahead to the upcoming US Open in New York. Meanwhile, Arthur Fils of France claimed his first Masters 1000 title by overcoming American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 in the men’s final, marking a historic match as the first time two Black players competed in an ATP Masters 1000 final.

Gauff, who previously won the 2003 title by defeating Karolina Muchova before capturing her first Grand Slam at the US Open, started strong by taking a 5-0 lead in the first set. Pegula attempted a comeback in the second set, narrowing the score to 5-4 before Gauff ultimately secured the victory by winning five of six break points. This tournament marked the first all-American women’s final at the Cincinnati Open in 56 years, following semifinal wins where Pegula defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek and Gauff overcame Sara Bejlek.

Reflecting on her performance, Gauff noted the significant improvement in her game compared to the previous year, while Pegula acknowledged her opponent's high level of play. With this result, the head-to-head record between Gauff and Pegula stands even at five wins each.

In the men's division, Arthur Fils became the third Black man to win a Masters 1000 title, joining Ben Shelton and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. At 22 years old, Fils also earned the distinction of being the youngest French champion in Masters 1000 history and the second French player to win the Cincinnati final after Guy Forget in 1991. Tiafoe, appearing in his second consecutive Cincinnati final after losing to Jannik Sinner in 2024, fought off three championship points before Fils closed out the match with 11 aces and a strong first-serve performance.