Gauff, Fils win Cincinnati tennis titles in run-up to US Open

What the report says

Coco Gauff and Arthur Fils won the Cincinnati Open on Sunday, giving both players momentum ahead of the US Open in New York next week, according to Al Jazeera. Gauff defeated fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to claim her second Cincinnati title, while Fils beat American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 for his first Masters 1000 trophy.

Al Jazeera reported that Gauff opened the women’s final strongly, raced to a 5-0 lead in the first set and later held off a late Pegula push in the second. The result completed an all-American final, the first in Cincinnati in 56 years. Gauff said afterward that she felt her game had improved since last season and hoped the week would help her in New York, though she cautioned that the result did not guarantee success at the US Open.

In the men’s final, Fils recovered after dropping the second set to secure the title and become the youngest French champion in Masters 1000 history. Al Jazeera said the match was also the first ATP Masters 1000 final between two Black players. Tiafoe, who was seeking to end a long American title drought in Cincinnati, saved multiple championship points before Fils closed out the match. The victories underline both players’ form going into one of tennis’s biggest events.