Paolini powers past Gauff to end Italy’s 40-year wait in Rome

Buoyed by the energy of her home crowd, Jasmine Paolini delivered a stunning performance to defeat Coco Gauff 6-4 6-2 in the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, making history as the first Italian woman in 40 years to win the singles title in Rome.

For just the third time in the Open Era—and the first time in over a decade—an Italian woman was playing for the trophy in Rome. But the weight of the moment didn’t faze Paolini. On the contrary, she thrived on the grand stage in her home country, confidently dismantling her American opponent. Paolini capitalized on Gauff’s fatigue, as the former US Open champion was coming off a grueling semifinal against Zheng Qinwen—the longest main-draw match of the year and the longest of Gauff’s career.

The match began with three consecutive breaks of serve, initiated by Paolini, who immediately asserted her presence on court. The sixth seed was the first to steady the rhythm, holding serve to take a 3-1 lead. From there, she maintained control and closed out the opening set with a commanding love hold, 6-4.

Paolini carried her momentum into the second set, breaking Gauff in the opening game and quickly consolidating for a 2-0 lead. She broke again for 3-0, tightening her grip on the match. Although Gauff, dressed in the latest New Balance x Miu Miu collab, managed to momentarily halt Paolini’s surge with a break of her own, the fourth-seeded American had little left to counter the Italian’s relentless pace. Paolini immediately broke back and powered through the remainder of the set to seal a historic victory.

The WTA 1000 tournament in Rome had long awaited the return of a homegrown champion. On the men’s side, Adriano Panatta was the last Italian to triumph—way back in 1971. The women’s drought stretched nearly as far, with Raffaella Reggi’s 1985 title remaining unmatched for four decades. Paolini has now ended that wait in spectacular fashion, claiming her third career WTA title, her second at the WTA 1000 level, and her very first on clay.

The 29-year-old Paolini navigated a challenging draw to reach the title. After receiving a first-round bye, she defeated Lulu Sun, then stunned three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur in the third round. She followed up with a win over 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth, edged out rising talent Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals, eased past Peyton Stearns in the semifinals, and capped it all off with a commanding victory over Coco Gauff in the final.

Paolini’s remarkable week in Rome isn’t over yet. Alongside Sara Errani, she has also reached the doubles final—where the defending champions will face Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens on Sunday.

When it comes to tennis fashion, this clay-court season Paolini sports pieces from Asics’ collaboration with Parisian fashion label A.P.C. The Italian WTA player competes in the Asics Gel-Resolution X shoes and wields the Yonex VCORE 100 racquet.