Coco Gauff flounders 2nd-straight tournament final with Italian Open loss

No. 4 seed Coco Gauff fell just short in her second consecutive final on Saturday, losing the Italian Open showpiece to Jasmine Paolini, who became the first Italy-born player to win the tournament in 40 years.

Paolini, who is ranked No. 6 in the world, won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.  Jannik Sinner is also playing in the men’s final against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday.

Gauff, who is one of the best American players on the WTA Tour, fell in the Madrid Open earlier this month to Aryna Sabalenka. That was also a clay-court event in preparation for the upcoming French Open at Roland Garros in Paris.

The phenom struggled immensely in this match and made far too many mistakes. Gauff had 55 unforced errors along with seven double faults.

Via ESPN:

“Maybe I could have served better and put more balls in the court,” Coco Gauff said. “I definitely could and can. But she played to win today and she deserved to win. … With the double-faults, it’s something I know I have to improve.”

Paolini was never going to be a pushover, though. The Italian was a runner-up at Wimbledon and the French Open in 2024 and has continued to climb her way up the rankings. She brought her best over the last week on home soil.

“It doesn’t seem real to me,” Paolini said. “I came here as a kid to see this tournament, but winning it and holding up this trophy wasn’t even in my dreams.”

Gauff noticed a major difference in Paolini’s game:

“I played her a long time ago in Adelaide,” Gauff said, referring to a match that the American won in 2021. “I remember her playing a little bit more of a passive game style. Now she’s more aggressive.”

Coco Gauff has one title this season and a 19-8 record. She will now prepare for the second Major of the year.