Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will meet Sunday for the Cincinnati Open title in the first all-American women’s singles final at the tournament since 1970. World No. 3 Pegula, the top-ranked American, is seeking her third title of 2026, while No. 4 Gauff is bidding for her second Cincinnati championship on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.
Cincinnati Open Singles Final Schedule and Head-to-Head History
Play on Stadium Court on Sunday evening wraps up with the championship match, scheduled to get underway no earlier than 7 p.m. right after the conclusion of the men’s singles final. Time conversions for singles final: NB 12 a.m. BST, 1 a.m. CEST (Monday, August 24). The doubles final, won by Marie Bouzkova and Linda Noskova, was contested Saturday late morning.
The pair are set to face each other for the 10th time on Sunday, with Pegula currently leading the head-to-head 5-4 overall and holding a 3-1 record on outdoor hard surfaces.
How Pegula and Gauff Reached the Championship Match
Pegula
First round: Bye
Second round: def. Simona Waltert 6-3, 6-2
Third round: def. [25] Emma Navarro 7-5, 6-2
Fourth round: def. [15] Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
Quarterfinal: def. [9] Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (4)
Semifinal: def. [7] Iga Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
Pegula notched her 300th main-draw victory by overcoming Iga Swiatek in a hard-fought three setter, successfully halting the tour’s hottest competitor despite an imperfect display.
Gauff
First round: Bye
Second round: def. Liudmila Samsonova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
Third round: def. [28] Ann Li 6-1, 7-6 (3)
Fourth round: def. [22] Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-2
Quarterfinal: def. [10] Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-2
Semifinal: def. Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1
Following an opening-set defeat in her tournament opener, the 2023 champion has taken total control of her matches and is rapidly gathering momentum heading into the US Open.
Prize Money and WTA Ranking Points at Stake
A total prize fund of USD $7,433,076 was on offer in Cincinnati, with the winner of the singles tournament taking home $1,085,200. The finalist will take home $564,920, the same as the previous tournament in Toronto. In doubles, Bouzkova and Noskova earned $379,080 for their win Saturday.
As is standard for WTA 1000 competitions, the PIF WTA Rankings and the Race to the WTA Finals at Indian Wells both offer 1000 points to the winner, while the runner-up collects 650 points. Regardless of tomorrow’s result, Pegula and Gauff are projected to remain No. 3 and No. 4 in the PIF WTA Rankings respectively. In the Race to the WTA Finals at Indian Wells, Pegula is projected to jump to No. 2 with a win or No. 4 with a loss. As for Gauff, she’s projected to jump to No. 5 with a win or No. 6 in case of defeat.
Did You Know?
At 22 years old, Gauff becomes the third-youngest Open Era competitor to advance to multiple Cincinnati Open finals, trailing only Evonne Goolagong from 1973 and Vera Zvonareva from 2006.
Tour Statistics and Key Numbers
Finals Leader 5: Pegula stands atop the tour with five championship appearances in 2026, carrying a 2-2 record. Three-Set Success 17: She has secured 17 three-set triumphs in tour-level main draws this year, matching her personal bests from 2023 and 2025. On hard-court, she is 11-2 in three-set matches this year. Break Points Converted 29: Across her first five matches in Cincinnati, Pegula has successfully converted 29 break opportunities, leading all players in the tournament. Match Wins Leader 45: Pegula leads all players on tour with 45 victories and shares the tour lead in hard-court wins this season with Elena Rybakina at 29.
Elite Finals Streak 9: Gauff’s previous nine championship match appearances have all occurred at Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Finals, or WTA 1000 events. Success Against Left-Handers 19: Gauff has triumphed in 19 of her past 21 matches against left-handed opponents, with her only defeats this year coming against Diana Shnaider in Toronto 2024 and Alexandra Eala at Indian Wells 2026 via a retirement.
Player Reactions Ahead of the Final
Pegula 1. “After the match with Amanda, I strained a little something in the middle of the match, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel. After getting through that match, actually that night and the next morning, it felt much better. Then taking yesterday off, I didn’t come to site at all, just kind of hung out, got away from the courts a little bit. “When I came out this morning, it felt much better, and I didn’t feel anything that was ailing me in the match against Amanda.”
2. “I’m always rootng for American tennis. We all get along so well. I think it would be awesome if it was Coco and I in a final. We’ve played in finals before, and I think, win or lose, to me, like looking back on my career, I thinklike to play someone that I get along with and that I have a lot of respect for in Coco would be really cool and memorable.”
Gauff 1. “I always respect players who know that you can be both a good person and a great competitor. Obviously, as an opponent, she’s super tough, can play aggressive. She strikes the ball, I think, she’s one of the cleanest ball strikers and very underrated mover.”
2. “I don’t think I ever really experienced that like in a final before, so it’ll be really a new experience. But definitely, it’s an environment I welcome. I like when the crowd isn’t always heavily favored to one side because it just creates a bit of that atmospheric competiveness between us and also the fans.”
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Cincinnati Open women’s singles final start?
The women’s singles championship match takes place on Stadium Court on Sunday evening, getting underway no earlier than 7 p.m. immediately following the conclusion of the men’s singles final.
What is the head-to-head record between Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula?
Sunday’s championship match marks their 10th career encounter, with Pegula leading 5-4 overall and holding a 3-1 advantage in outdoor hard-court matches, though Gauff won their sole previous title clash at Wuhan in 2025 as well as their only meeting of this season in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
How much prize money does the Cincinnati Open singles champion receive?
The singles champion will receive $1,085,200.
How many ranking points are awarded to the winner?
The winner collects 1000 points toward both the PIF WTA Rankings and the Race to the WTA Finals at Indian Wells, matching the standard structure for all WTA 1000 tournaments.
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