Jasmine Paolini Claims Historic Italian Open Title at Home

Rome, Italy – Jasmine Paolini made history on Saturday by becoming the first Italian woman to win the Italian Open since 1985, defeating Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in the women’s singles final. The match took place in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Campo Centrale, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in attendance.

Paolini, the sixth seed, celebrated her momentous victory, which marks a significant achievement not only for her but for Italian tennis as a whole. “It doesn’t seem real to me,” the 29-year-old 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.”

Throughout the match, Paolini displayed remarkable composure. After both players struggled to hold serve in the early games, she broke Gauff’s serve to lead 3-1. The Italian maintained control of the set and, despite a brief fightback from Gauff in the second set, Paolini’s powerful serves and groundstrokes ultimately secured her victory.

“Maybe I could have served better and put more balls in the court,” Gauff admitted after the match, acknowledging her 55 unforced errors and seven double faults. “But she played to win today and she deserved to win.”

Paolini’s triumph at the Italian Open also means she is set to rise to fourth in the WTA world rankings ahead of the upcoming French Open, which begins on May 25.

On Sunday, Paolini partnered with Sara Errani in the women’s doubles final, aiming to repeat her success and become the first player to sweep both singles and doubles titles at a WTA 1000 event since 2009. The duo faced Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens.

Having already reached the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon last year, Paolini’s victory at the Italian Open signifies a new pinnacle in her career. Furthermore, it underscores the resurgence of Italian tennis, placing her alongside Jannik Sinner, who is competing in the men’s final later on Sunday.