Kathmandu— Coco Gauff defeated fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win the women’s singles title at the Cincinnati Open on Sunday, setting a positive tone as she prepares for the US Open next week in New York. In the men's final, France’s Arthur Fils overcame Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0, capturing his first Masters 1000 title and making history as part of the first all-Black ATP Masters 1000 final.

Gauff Dominates in All-American Final

Gauff’s victory marked her second Cincinnati Open title, following her win in 2023 where she went on to claim her first Grand Slam at the US Open. She quickly established control against Pegula, racing to a 5-0 lead in the first set and ultimately winning it 6-2. While Pegula mounted a comeback in the second set, narrowing the gap to 5-4, Gauff secured the win with five break points converted throughout the match. The final was the first all-American women’s championship match at the Cincinnati Open since 1970.

Historic Victory for Fils

Arthur Fils' triumph over Frances Tiafoe marked a significant moment in tennis history, making him the third Black man to win a Masters 1000 title, joining Ben Shelton and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. At 22 years old, Fils is now the youngest French champion in Masters 1000 history, and only the second French player to win the Cincinnati final after Guy Forget in 1991. He saved three championship points in the final game before securing the victory. Fils has an impressive 10-0 record in deciding sets this year and is now 8-0 against American opponents.

Players Reflect on Performance

Following her win, Gauff expressed satisfaction with her progress, stating, “I think it was a long journey, but I’m happy. I think it’s night and day, the player I was last year to now.” Pegula acknowledged Gauff's strong performance, saying, “I thought she just played at a really high level and didn’t really have many dips… A dangerous, confident Coco is going to New York.” Fils, reflecting on overcoming recent challenges including a hip injury that kept him out of the French Open, shared, “It’s been a tough last year… People think that I’m done. But here we are. I got the title.”

Both Gauff and Fils will now turn their attention to the US Open, hoping to carry this momentum into the final Grand Slam of the year.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.