Jessica Pegula eliminated defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in a rain-interrupted, 2-hour 47-minute semi-final on Saturday, ending Swiatek's bid for back-to-back Cincinnati titles. Pegula, who defeated Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-finals, sealed the 13th meeting between the two by breaking Swiatek's serve in the ninth game of the decider following a seventh double fault.
The victory sends Pegula into her second Cincinnati final in three years, where she will face Coco Gauff, who beat Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1 in the other semi-final. Pegula holds a 17-5 record in three-set matches this season, including 11-2 on hard courts, and has already claimed titles in Dubai and Charleston in 2026.
In the men's draw, Arthur Fils defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4 and Frances Tiafoe beat Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 6-3 to reach the title match.