A final Cincinnati has not seen since 1970
Fifty-six years. That is how long it has been since two Americans met for the women’s title in Mason, and Rosie Casals against Nancy Richey remains the only previous instance.
Third seed Jessica Pegula and fourth-ranked Coco Gauff changed that overnight on Saturday into Sunday, booking their spots in the Cincinnati Open final. In an era where the tour is spread across every continent, an all-American showpiece is close to extinct.
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Thirteen breaks and a streak snapped
Pegula ended Iga Swiatek’s 10-match winning run after 2 hours 47 minutes, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. She trailed 3-1 in the decider. Then she dug in, took the break that swung it at 4-4 and held in five points to close it out.
The return decided this one. Neither player cracked half their points won behind serve, Pegula at 55 percent, the Pole at 52. Thirteen breaks in total, including the opening five games. Swiatek landed 70 percent of her first serves and still coughed up seven double faults, winning only 34 percent of points on her second delivery.
“I felt like we were playing well at times and not so well at others, so it was really hard to read the match,” Pegula said afterwards.
Gauff left no opening
The second semi-final took 76 minutes. Gauff beat unseeded Czech Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1, taking eight of the final nine games once the opening set reached 4-4.
Six of seven break points converted. Fifty-six percent of return points won. Bejlek had just knocked out Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys, but nothing from those rounds carried over.
“I was just trying to stay focused. Sometimes you don’t know whether to be aggressive and risk making mistakes,” Gauff said.
Pegula is into her second Cincinnati final in three years, having lost to Sabalenka in 2024. Gauff is chasing a second title in Ohio, three years after winning her first at 19.
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