Energized by passionate support from the home crowd, Jasmine Paolini defeated Coco Gauff in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, to claim the Italian Open championship in Rome. This triumph marks a significant milestone, as Paolini is the first Italian player to win the women`s singles title at the tournament in four decades.
With top-ranked Jannik Sinner scheduled to compete against Carlos Alcaraz in the men`s final on Sunday, Italy holds the exciting prospect of achieving a rare sweep of the singles titles in Rome this weekend.
The last Italian woman to win the event was Raffaella Reggi in 1985, while Adriano Panatta was the last Italian man to raise the trophy in 1976.
Jasmine Paolini is also set to feature in the women`s doubles final, partnering with Sara Errani to face Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens for that title on Sunday.
Reflecting on her unexpected victory, Paolini commented, “It truly doesn`t feel real to me. I used to come here as a child to watch this tournament, but winning it and holding this trophy was beyond my wildest dreams.”
She added praise for the spectators, saying, “The crowd has been incredible. It`s been two amazing weeks, and it`s not finished yet.”
In a sign of the sport`s current prominence in Italy, the nation`s President, Sergio Mattarella, was in attendance for the women`s final at the Foro Italico.
Numerous Italian fans filled the arena, proudly displaying Italian flags and continuously cheering `Vai Jasmine` (`Go Jasmine`) throughout the match.
Coco Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, struggled throughout the final, particularly with unforced errors and double faults. This result means she finishes as runner-up for the second consecutive tournament, following her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final just two weeks prior.
Earlier this year, Paolini had also secured a victory over Gauff on clay at an event in Stuttgart in April.
The last woman to win both the singles and doubles titles at the Rome event in the same year was Monica Seles in 1990.
