What distinction did Coco Gauff achieve by winning the 2026 Cincinnati Open?

Coco Gauff became a two-time Cincinnati champion by winning the 2026 Cincinnati Open.

Gauff had already won the tournament in 2023. Her second title came three years later, when she defeated Jessica Pegula 6–2, 6–4 in the 2026 final. That made her only the third woman in the Open Era to win Cincinnati’s singles event twice.

The two players previously holding that distinction were Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams. Azarenka won in 2013 and 2020, while Williams won consecutive titles in 2014 and 2015.

The milestone is specific to the Open Era, which began in 1968 when professional players were permitted to compete alongside amateurs in the major tournaments. Cincinnati has a much older tournament history, but modern comparisons commonly separate Open Era records from earlier results.