Sabalenka dominates Pegula to capture Cincinnati Open, securing 6th WTA 1000 title

Aryna Sabalenka breaks Jessica Pegula's winning streak and takes the Cincinnati Open title with a commanding 6-3, 7-5 victory. The Belarusian secures her 6th WTA 1000 title, her first of the year after failing in the finals of the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.

The 2-time Grand Slam champion ends Pegula's 9-match winning streak. Pegula, who was the champion at the Canadian Open last week, heads to the US Open with confidence. Additionally, Sabalenka reaches her 100th WTA 1000 win and returns to World No. 2, moving further ahead of Coco Gauff.

In the first set, Sabalenka was dominant with a 71% first serve rate, winning 88% of those serves. The Belarusian dropped only four points on her serve throughout the set and consistently troubled her opponent with her returns.

The first break came in the 4th game and was enough for Sabalenka to hold on to her serve and close out the set 6-3, including 6 aces. Pegula struggled to counter Sabalenka's strong serve, winning only 17% of return points.

At the start of the second set, Sabalenka quickly secured an early break to go up 2-0. The Belarusian avoided long rallies and controlled the rhythm with her cross-court shots. Pegula improved her first serve effectiveness from 55% to 83%, but the early break proved costly.

At the start of the second set, Sabalenka quickly secured an early break to go up 2-0. The Belarusian avoided long rallies and controlled the rhythm with her cross-court shots. Pegula improved her first serve effectiveness from 55% to 83%, but struggled to find solutions to her opponent's high pace. Sabalenka had her serve working well but committed a couple of unforced errors that allowed Pegula to secure a break and level the score at 5-5.

However, Pegula's joy was short-lived as she was unable to hold her serve. Sabalenka took the break and then confidently served out the match, winning 6-3, 7-5 to secure her 6th WTA 1000 title. Both players will take this week off while preparing for the US Open, where Sabalenka is set to be the second seed, potentially avoiding Iga Swiatek until a possible final.