This Week in Tennis: Fils, Gauff Build Momentum…

Welcome to This Week in Tennis, where we catch up on all the latest and biggest stories from the ATP and WTA Tours.

Fils Takes Down Tiafoe

Arthur Fils won his first title of the season, and first Masters 1000 trophy of his career, with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 victory over Frances Tiafoe in the Cincinnati Open final on Sunday.

The Frenchman finally got over the hump after reaching the semifinal in two previous 1000 tournaments this season in Miami and Madrid. The 22-year-old also became the first Frenchman to win a Masters 1000 since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto in 2014.

“Wow, that feels good. That feels good,” Fils said. “It’s a lot of training, a lot of things, a lot of sacrifice. Injury. To be able to win one title like this means a lot to me.”

Fils is now ranked a career-best 11th and jumps to No. 5 in the Race to the ATP Finals.

It has been quite the season for Fils, who heads into the US Open with a chance to jump into the Top 10 for the first time in his career, despite missing the Australian swing and Roland-Garros due to injuries.

Gauff Beats Pegula for First 2026 Title

Coco Gauff beat Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 in an All-American Cincinnati final to win her first title of 2026.

The 22-year-old dropped her first set of the tournament in her opening match but flipped the switch from there, winning 12 straight sets en route to hoisting the trophy in Cincinnati for the second time.

It was a long road to the fourth WTA 1000 title of Gauff’s career after she lost in the final in Rome and Miami, while also losing the semis in Dubai and Wimbledon.

"I think it was a long journey, but I'm happy," Gauff said. "I think it's night and day, the player I was last year to now. I don't think that this is an indicator that I'm going to do well in New York. Just knowing the quality ones that I had this week, hopefully I can use that experience."

Gauff will now head to Flushing Meadows looking to win the US Open for the second time, and first since 2023, which also came the last time she claimed the title in Cincinnati.

All Winners This Week:

ATP 1000 - Cincinnati

● Men’s Singles: Arthur Fils* (1/4) d. Frances Tiafoe
● Men’s Doubles: Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos d. Constantin Frantzen and Robin Haase

WTA 1000 - Cincinnati

● Women’s Singles: Coco Gauff* (1/12) d. Jessica Pegula
● Women’s Doubles: Marie Bouzkova and Linda Noskova d. Magali Kempen and Alexandra Panova

* 2026 Titles/Career Titles

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Auger-Aliassime-Eala Pairing Joins Star-Studded Mixed Doubles Field

Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime will team with popular rising star Alexandra Eala at the US Open mixed doubles event.

Auger-Aliassime, the third seed in the men’s singles draw, will team with Eala for the first time after the Filipino jumped to No. 18 on the WTA Tour, becoming the highest-ranked Southeast Asian woman in history.

The pair will join a field that includes several high-profile pairings, including Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz, and defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.

The Davis Cup is coming to Quebec City September 18 and 19 as Team Canada hosts France in the Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round. Tickets are on sale now. CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS!

Feature Photo: WTA Tour