Arthur Fils capped off his stellar campaign at the Cincinnati Open by clinching his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title after an impressive victory over Frances Tiafoe in the final. As the Frenchman reflected on his achievement during his post-match press conference, his attention was caught by Coco Gauff’s display in the women’s final.
Arthur Fils Reacts to Coco Gauff’s Dominance in Cincinnati Open Final
After battling injury setbacks during the 2026 season that forced him to miss two Grand Slam events, Fils has built impressive momentum heading into the US Open. He triumphed over Yannick Hanfmann, Jiří Lehečka, Alex de Minaur, Thiago Agustín Tirante, and Flavio Cobolli to advance to the Cincinnati Open final.
In the title clash, the Frenchman made a strong start against Frances Tiafoe, winning the opening set 6-3. However, the American raised his level to dominate the second set and force a decider. Despite the setback, Fils recovered from the dip in form to claim a 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 victory and win the biggest title of his career.
During his post-match press conference, the 22-year-old opened up about how he had turned things around after losing the second set. He revealed that he pumped himself up during his bathroom break, expressing pride in his comeback.
“After the second set, I just went to toilet break. I talked to myself in the mirror. I said, ‘Come on, man. Do something. Show something.’ Because I was really going down. So, pretty happy with the way I played the third set,” he said.
Before taking questions in French, Fils also kept an eye on how Coco Gauff was faring against Jessica Pegula in the women’s final. He was amazed by Gauff’s unbelievable display as she dominated the opening set in the blockbuster showdown.
“Coco is playing unbelievable,” Fils said.
When Coco Gauff won the first set of her Cincinnati Open final, men’s winner Arthur Fils was doing media. Once he wrapped, he looked at the press room TV and said “Coco’s doing amazing.”
Indeed, Gauff closed out in two with a win over Jessica Pegula: her first title of 2026. pic.twitter.com/I8FhE7Myml
— Yanyan Li (@yyanyanli1) August 24, 2026
Gauff went on to secure a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Pegula to clinch her first title of the 2026 season.
Arthur Fils will now head to New York with the aim of building on his momentum and winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff will be on the hunt for her third Major when the main draw action gets underway on Aug. 30.
