Coco Gauff admitted she generally doesn’t like playing against Jessica Pegula but it was an “honour” to share the court with her following their Cincinnati Open final.

The 22-year-old needed just one hour and 14 minutes to defeat fellow American Pegula 6-2 6-4 on Sunday to win her first title of 2026.

The two-time Grand Slam winner – who hadn’t won since Wuhan last October – has become just the third two-time champion of the WTA 1000 event alongside Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka after winning in 2023.

This victory levelled Gauff’s head-to-head record with 32-year-old Pegula at five wins apiece, although the former has now won two on the spin after their quarter-final clash at Wimbledon.

Gauff has developed a reputation for being a classy athlete, both on and off the court. And her post-match speech only enhanced that status as she explained why Pegula is such a great player and person, while also revealing a little titbit about her early years in the sport.

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In her on-court speech, she said, “First I wanna congratulate Jess. You’re an incredible player. That goes without saying. Playing you is always tough. Today, all the balls were going in on my side. But I don’t like seeing you on the other side of the court. But I like playing with you.

“But yeah, I just wanted to say congratulations. You’re an incredible person and player. Congrats to your team. You guys are also incredible people. One of the best teams on tour. I’d also just like to thank Jess. When I first came on tour, she was one of the few players who was nice to me.

“That’s always stuck a long way with me and my family. I have so much respect for you. It’s an honour to share the court with you once again. Hopefully we can run it back a couple times.”

Shortly after her victory, Gauff picked up her phone and had a quick FaceTime call with her nearest and dearest who couldn’t be in Cincinnati on Sunday.

The former US Open champion also contrasted her mood after losing at this tournament in the quarter-final stage last year.

She added, “Thank you to my parents… Back at home, my brothers and grandparents.. all the family and friends that have been cheering for me and praying for me.. I FaceTimed them right there on the bench. It was good to see their faces and them smile.

“Usually I just get a ‘good job’ text. It was nice to get a bit more than that. I’d like to thank God for just bringing me through these tough periods. Last year I was literally in the parking lot like in tears. It’s a big difference what a year can make. So I thank him for pulling me through.”

Gauff will certainly be one of the favourites heading into Flushing Meadows.

LOOKING AHEAD: Are Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Alex Eala the 2026 US Open favourites?