Aryna Sabalenka ended Jessica Pegula‘s quest for a Toronto-Cincinnati double in emphatic fashion, snapping the American’s nine-match winning streak with a commanding 6-3 7-5 victory in the Cincinnati Open final.
The third-seeded Sabalenka dominated the first set, quickly securing a 4-1 lead and never facing a break point, while Pegula managed to win just 17% of her return points.
Sabalenka carried this momentum into the second set, breaking Pegula immediately and consolidating with a love hold. Just as it seemed Sabalenka was cruising to victory, Pegula mounted a comeback, leveling the set at 5-5. However, the American’s resurgence was brief, as the Belarusian quickly broke back and sealed the match in the next game.
In her third WTA 1000 final of the season, Sabalenka ended a six-month title drought. At the Cincinnati Open, she secured straight-set victories against a series of formidable opponents, namely Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Elina Svitolina, Liudmila Samsonova, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek—whom she defeated in straight sets for the first time—and the in-form Pegula. This is Sabalenka’s 15th career title and first hard-court WTA 1000 title since 2020 Doha.
Sabalenka’s winning equipment in Cincinnati included the Nike Core Advantage Tank, Nike Women’s Core…
