How tennis history was made at Cincinnati Open with landmark ATP final

The 2026 Cincinnati Open concluded with a milestone for men's tennis. Arthur Fils and Frances Tiafoe made history Aug. 23 by becoming the first two Black players to meet in an ATP Masters 1000 final since the series began in 1990, according to The Athletic. Fils, 22, of France, defeated his 28-year-

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The 2026 Cincinnati Open concluded with a milestone for men's tennis.

Arthur Fils and Frances Tiafoe made history Aug. 23 by becoming the first two Black players to meet in an ATP Masters 1000 final since the series began in 1990, according to The Athletic.

Fils, 22, of France, defeated his 28-year-old American opponent, Tiafo, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 for his first ATP Masters 1000 title and the "biggest title of his career," the sports website writes. Additionally, Fils is the first French player to win an ATP Masters 1000 event since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's title run in Toronto in 2014.

He's also the third Black men's player to win an ATP 1000, joining Ben Shelton (a two-time winner in Canada) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2008 Paris Masters).

Frances Tiafoe and Arthur Fils celebrate after the Cincinnati Open Finals match between Arthur Fils, of France, and Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. Fils won the championship, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0.

"Great representation

for a bunch of kids looking up to us and want to be in our position, and that's what it's about," Tiafoe said in a press release. "And hopefully, we can continue to have more and more big finals like this, having people of color in it. I'm super pumped about it."

Fils also became the first French player to win the Cincinnati Open since Guy Forget in 1991. He now possesses a career-high ranking of No. 11 following his Aug. 23 win, the release adds.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How tennis history was made at Cincinnati Open with landmark ATP final