Coco Gauff Falls Short Again in Italian Open Final to Jasmine Paolini

Rome, Italy – Coco Gauff‘s bid for her first Italian Open title ended in disappointment on Saturday as she lost to home favorite Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

Despite showing resilience throughout the tournament, Gauff struggled with her service and made several unforced errors. This marked her second consecutive final loss after falling short in Madrid earlier this month.

After the match, Gauff praised Paolini’s performance, saying, “Jasmine played great tennis today. I think it was one of her best levels.” The 21-year-old American recognized her own shortcomings, adding, “I didn’t play my best level. It’s not to discredit my opponent; she forced me to play that way.”

During the match, Gauff recorded seven double faults compared to Paolini’s none, revealing the stark difference in their service games. Gauff also managed to land only 53.4% of her first serves, which allowed Paolini to attack her second serve effectively.

“It’s bittersweet,” Gauff admitted in her post-match press conference. “I’m definitely proud of the results I had leading up to this but disappointed I didn’t bring my best today.”

This loss serves as a reminder of the areas Gauff needs to improve before the upcoming Roland Garros, where consistent performance is crucial. “If I want to make it to the next level, it’s definitely something I have to improve,” she remarked, acknowledging her high number of unforced errors.

Despite her struggles, Gauff is optimistic about her chances at the French Open, confident she can refine her game before the tournament. “Hopefully I can get to the final at Roland Garros and maybe the ‘third time is a charm’ thing is real,” she joked, referencing her past finals.

Gauff’s impressive performance this clay-court season still positions her favorably, as she is set to rise to the No. 2 ranking in the world, preventing her from facing Aryna Sabalenka until the final in Paris.