Jasmine Paolini delivered the performance of her life to sweep aside Coco Gauff in straight sets and become the first Italian woman in four decades to win the singles title at the Italian Open.
Roared on by a fervent home crowd at the Foro Italico including Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Paolini triumphed 6-4, 6-2 in a commanding display of aggressive clay-court tennis. The 29-year-old, born in the Tuscan town of Bagni di Lucca, needed just 89 minutes to etch her name into the history books.
Her win ends a 40-year wait since Raffaella Reggi’s 1985 victory and makes her only the fourth Italian woman to claim the title since the tournament began in 1930. “It’s amazing,” Paolini told the crowd, visibly emotional as the enormity of the moment sank in.
Both players struggled to hold serve early, but once Paolini found her rhythm, she never looked back. A string of pinpoint forehands and clever angles saw her take control at 3-1 in the first set before closing it out with authority.
She surged to a double break early in the second, racing to a 3-0 lead before Gauff managed a brief fightback. But the American was unable to claw momentum her way, and Paolini coolly served out the biggest win of her career, sealing it with an unreturnable serve down the middle.
The victory propels Paolini to No.4 in the WTA rankings, securing a top-four seeding for the French Open next week. It caps a stunning rise for a player who, just a year ago, was better known for doubles success than singles headlines.
She may not be done yet. Paolini is also into the doubles final alongside Sara Errani, with a chance to emulate Monica Seles’ rare 1990 double triumph. If successful, she would join an elite group, with only Vera Zvonareva managing the feat at a WTA 1000 event in the modern era.
