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…
