Pegula fights back from 1-3 down in the decider to end Swiatek’s title defense and reach Cincinnati final
Jessica Pegula fought back from a break down in the decider to end Iga Swiatek’s title defense in Cincinnati (7-5, 4-6, 6-4), marking her 300th career win with a place in the final.
Jessica Pegula, Cincinnati 2026 | © Cincinnati Open
American Jessica Pegula, the No 3 seed, came from a break down in the third set to beat defending champion Iga Swiatek, the No 7 seed, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, and reach the final of the Cincinnati Open on Saturday.
The first set alone produced five consecutive service breaks inside the first seven games, before Pegula pulled away from 4-4 to close it out 7-5. Swiatek responded by leveling the match, breaking twice in the second set to win it 6-4. In the decider, Pegula fell behind 1-3 after an early break, but broke straight back, and the pair traded holds to 4-4 before Pegula broke again for 5-4 and served out the match 6-4.
The win was Pegula’s 300th tour-level victory, and it ends Swiatek’s unbeaten run on the North American hard-court swing, her first loss since winning the title in Toronto. It snaps a 10-match winning streak for the Pole, who came into Cincinnati as defending champion.
Pegula reaches her ninth WTA 1000 final, and her second in Cincinnati, having finished runner-up here in 2024, and it was her 33rd career win over a top-10 player, the seventh of 2026.
Pegula will next face the winner of the semi-final between Czech Sara Bejlek and American Coco Gauff, the No 4 seed. Asked about it in her on-court interview, Pegula told the crowd to get behind Gauff, hoping for an all-American final.
