Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open will crown a first-time Masters 1000 champion on Sunday. Arthur Fils and Frances Tiafoe both won their semi-finals in straight sets, and neither has won at this level before. In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula have set up the first all-American final in Mason since 1970, with the world No. 1 ranking live for whoever wins it.
Earlier rounds are covered in our semi-finals report, quarter-finals and round of 16, with the full field in the tournament preview and our settled outright angles in the Cincinnati Open betting tips.
How the Semi-Finals Finished
| Through | Beat | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur Fils (21) | Flavio Cobolli (7) | 6-3, 6-4 |
| Frances Tiafoe (17) | Brandon Nakashima (27) | 7-5, 6-3 |
| Jessica Pegula (3) | Iga Świątek (7) | 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 |
| Coco Gauff (4) | Sara Bejlek | 6-4, 6-1 |
The Men’s Final: Whoever Wins It Wins a First
Neither finalist has won a Masters 1000 title, and neither had reached a final at the level before this week. That is the headline, and it is a fair reflection of a fortnight that lost Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner before a ball was struck, then lost Novak Djokovic in the first round and Alexander Zverev in the last 16.
Fils came through the half that emptied out, beating Cobolli 6-3, 6-4 either side of a rain delay. The 21st seed has been the cleaner striker all week and did not face a break point until the second set of that semi-final. Tiafoe reached his second Cincinnati final in three years by beating Nakashima 7-5, 6-3, ending the run of the man who had already taken out Daniil Medvedev and sixth seed Taylor Fritz from losing positions.
The shape of the match is straightforward enough. Tiafoe has the bigger serve and the better record in front of an American crowd; Fils has been the more consistent player from the back of the court across the fortnight and has dropped fewer games getting here. Neither has the experience edge, because neither has any.
The Women’s Final: All-American, and the No. 1 Ranking Is Live
Pegula and Gauff meet in the first all-American women’s final at this tournament since 1970. Both arrive with the world No. 1 ranking in play: Aryna Sabalenka went out in the last 16 to the unseeded Sara Bejlek, and either finalist can move above her with the title.
Pegula got here the harder way. She survived Sorana Cîrstea 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, then Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(4), then ended Świątek’s title defence 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, coming from a break down in the deciding set. That is three consecutive three-setters against seeded opposition. Gauff has had the smoother week, closing out Bejlek 6-4, 6-1 after the Czech had beaten three seeds including the world No. 1.
Pegula leads the head-to-head 5-4, and the pattern of those meetings matters more than the number: they are close, they are long, and they tend to be settled by who holds serve better under pressure rather than by anything tactical. Pegula is chasing a third title of 2026, Gauff a second in Mason after her 2023 win.
Where the Value Sits
The men’s final is genuinely hard to price, which is unusual for a Masters 1000 decider and is the direct result of both players being here for the first time. Tiafoe’s serve and the home crowd are the two things in the match that have been reliable all week; Fils has been the better player for longer stretches. If you are backing anything, the case for a long match is stronger than the case for either man.
In the women’s final, the argument against Pegula is simple fatigue: three three-setters in a row in August heat, against an opponent who has spent far less time on court. The argument for her is that she has beaten better players to get here and has already found a way through when behind. Gauff is the fresher of the two and the better mover, and freshness has decided more Cincinnati finals than form has.
We are not adding a new outright position at this stage. Our pre-tournament angles are settled and reviewed in the Cincinnati Open betting tips.
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More Cincinnati Open Coverage
Full cluster: Cincinnati Open hub · Semi-finals · Quarter-finals · Round of 16 · Round of 32 · Round of 64 · Betting tips · Prize money · Past champions · How to watch
Next up: US Open 2026 hub · US Open preview · US Open outright tips
Every event we cover is in the tournaments index, and the dates are in the 2026 tennis calendar.