MASON, Ohio: Jessica Pegula beat defending champion Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff defeated Sara Bejlek on Saturday to set up the first all-American women’s final at the Cincinnati Open in 56 years.
Pegula rallied from down a break in the third set to get past Swiatek, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, for her tour-leading 45th win this year. It was the 300th tour-level victory of Pegula’s career, and it snapped Swiatek’s 10-match winning streak.
Pegula’s best finish in Cincinnati came in 2024, when she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Gauff, the 2023 champion, beat Bejlek, 6-4, 6-1. The 20-year-old Czech upset top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys en route to the semis.
The last time two American women played in the Cincinnati final was in 1970, when Rosie Casals beat Nancy Richey.
“I’m always rooting for American tennis,” Pegula said. “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.”
Jessica Pegula lunges for a ball while playing Iga Swiatek during the Women's Semifinals on day twelve of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 22, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images via AFP)
It was a really tough match”
World number three Pegula and seventh seed Swiatek traded breaks early in the opening set before rain briefly interrupted play with the score level at 1-1. Pegula returned with purpose, breaking for a 3-2 lead and following it with a love hold for 4-2.
Swiatek clawed back, breaking to level at 4-4 before moving ahead. But with the set locked at 5-5, Pegula capitalized on a Swiatek double fault to break for 6-5 before the Pole missed a return and sent an overhead smash into the net to hand Pegula the opener. In the second set Swiatek was more aggressive, breaking in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead.
Pegula broke back and managed to level the contest, but the former world number one sealed the set in the 10th game when Pegula missed a forehand return.
Pegula refused to fade after Swiatek moved 3-1 ahead in the decider. The American levelled at 4-4, earned the decisive break in the next game and served out victory after two hours and 47 minutes.
“It was a really tough match. She (Swiatek) is in great form. To beat someone who is such a great athlete like Iga in the semis and to make it to another 1000 final, it’s awesome,” Pegula said.
Tiafoe and Fils to meet in men’s final
On the men’s side, Frances Tiafoe defeated fellow American Brandon Nakashima, 7-5, 6-3, to set up a final against Arthur Fils of France.
It will be the first time two Black players have met in an ATP Masters 1000 final.
Sunday’s winner will be the third Black man to win a Masters 1000 title, joining Ben Shelton, who won Canada twice, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who won Paris in 2008 and Canada in 2014.
“It’s awesome for, you know, for a bunch of kids looking up to us and want to be in our position,” Tiafoe said. “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.”
Tiafoe reached the 2024 final in Cincinnati, losing to Jannik Sinner in three sets.
Frances Tiafoe plays a drop shot during the match against Brandon Nakashima on day 12 of the Cincinnati Open on August 22, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images via AFP)
Fils prevail
Fils defeated 10th-ranked Flavio Cobolli, 6-3, 6-4, to become the second French player to reach the Cincinnati final, joining Guy Forget in 1991.
The 22-year-old beat Tiafoe in three sets last year in Miami, in their only prior meeting.
“Frances is Frances,” Fils said. “I mean, whenever he has to show up on the big stage that’s where he plays his best. It’s going to be a nice final to play against an American, so the crowd’s going to be against me, but I think I’m going to enjoy it.”
Fils admitted he had been unsettled by the weather delay.
“You come on court more nervous because it’s a semifinal. The rain arrives, you wait, and when you come back conditions are completely different,” he said.
“It was tough but I’m happy with how I dealt with it.
“My goal since the start of the season was to try to go deep in those big tournaments, try to play on the biggest stadium. That’s what we are doing here.
“I’m pretty happy with the performance today, with the whole week, but I want to go further.”
Arthur Fils returns a shot against Flavio Cobolli during the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 22, 2026. (Aaron Doster-Imagn Images_
Cobolli gained an early edge with a break for 2-1 but immediately dropped his own serve to love.
The Italian went down for a second time, with his opponent catching the corner to take a 5-3 lead before serving out the set after 25 minutes.
Fils broke to start the second set as his intensity increased, and he closed out the win with a stinging forehand winner to the corner past Cobolli.
“I started out slow but the momentum began to change from 4-3 in the first set when I won some tough rallies,” Fils said. “The momentum started going my way and I felt much better on serve.”
