Jessica Pegula Makes Honest Coco Gauff Admission Ahead of Historic Cincinnati Final

Sunday’s women’s final between Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff will mark the first time two American women have faced each other for the Cincinnati Open title. Former doubles partners, Gauff and Pegula have had some intriguing encounters in the past, and their latest meeting promises to be another exciting showdown between two of the WTA Tour’s leading players.

The head-to-head record shows just how closely matched they have been. Pegula leads Gauff 5-4 overall, while their record on outdoor hard courts favors Jessica 3-1. However, their most recent meeting was won by Gauff at Wimbledon, meaning the younger American could enter the final with slightly more momentum on her side.

Jessica Pegula Praises Coco Gauff’s Improved Serve

The two Americans have also shared plenty of success together as former doubles partners, and despite their rivalry on the singles court, they have remained good friends off it.

Speaking after her semifinal victory, Pegula had plenty of praise for Gauff, particularly for the improvement in a part of her game that has been discussed extensively over the past few years: her serve.

“Coco, we know how Coco has been playing. I watched her play last night. She’s played really well. I thought like super solid. Her serve looks good. She’s being aggressive and when she needs to. And I feel like she’s just been playing very straightforward, solid hard court tennis.”

Coco’s Cincy feeling ✨@CocoGauff | #CincyTennispic.twitter.com/M3HXcbx7rh

— Cincinnati Open (@CincyTennis) August 23, 2026

Gauff’s serving numbers have indeed been trending in the right direction this season. Her double-fault rate has dropped from 10% last year to 7.9% in 2026, highlighting the adjustments she has made ahead of the US Open.

So far at the Cincinnati Open, Gauff is averaging five aces per match, winning 76% of her first-serve points and saving 66% of the break points she has faced.

Pegula Opens up on Her Relationship With Gauff

Pegula also spoke about what it means to share these big moments with Gauff at different tournaments and reflected on the close relationship they have built over the years.

“I have a lot of respect for her obviously, we’re pretty close. I think in the long-term when I’m looking back just being able to share these finals with her, especially someone who is going to play much longer than me, I think it would be really cool to share another final together, especially in the US.”

From Pegula’s words, it is evident that there is plenty of mutual respect between the two Americans as they prepare to face each other for the 10th time in their careers.

With the Cincinnati Open title on the line and the US Open just around the corner, both Gauff and Pegula will have plenty of motivation to finish their tournament on a high.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Tennis section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.