Paolini Makes History with Stunning Italian Open Victory

Jasmine Paolini Ends Italy’s 40-Year Wait for a Home Champion in Rome

There was magic in the Roman air on Saturday afternoon as Jasmine Paolini delivered a fearless, fluid and emotionally charged performance to end a 40-year wait for a homegrown winner of the Italian Open women’s singles title.

With the Foro Italico crowd rising to their feet in unison—and even Italian president Sergio Mattarella in attendance—it was Paolini who owned the spotlight as she dismantled Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 to etch her name into the nation’s tennis history books.

The 29-year-old from Tuscany, already known for her resilient rise and relentless grit, needed just 89 minutes to put away the third seed and secure the biggest title of her career. Not since Raffaella Reggi’s triumph in 1985 had an Italian woman stood on the top step in Rome. Now, Paolini joins an elite club of just four Italian women to win the title since its inception in 1930.

A Start Full of Nerves, but Paolini Finds Her Rhythm

Paolini Reaches Italian Open Final, Ends Decade-Long Wait for Italy –

The opening games hinted at tension on both sides. Neither player could hold serve in the first three games, and for a brief moment it looked like it might be one of those nervy, back-and-forth battles often seen on red clay. But it was Paolini who settled first.

She held to go up 3-1 and from there, something changed. Her footwork grew sharper, her forehand more commanding, and her variety began to disrupt Gauff’s rhythm. The Rome crowd, already deafening, sensed it too—and their energy became the wind beneath Paolini’s wings.

Closing out the opening set 6-4, Paolini looked to the stands with a raised fist and an expression that said, “I’m not done yet.”

From Control to Domination in Set Two

Any notion that this would be a grind to the finish quickly faded as Paolini charged into the second set with intent. Two early breaks saw her storm to a 3-0 lead, the American unable to find any sort of rhythm with her serve or groundstrokes.

To her credit, Gauff did claw back one break and managed to hold serve for 3-2, but Paolini never blinked. There was no wobble, no hesitation—only belief. She stayed aggressive, returning deep and varying her angles to keep Gauff on the move.

With every point, the noise inside the Foro Italico grew. Fans clapped between serves, roared after rallies, and leapt to their feet when Paolini saved a late break point and held for 5-2. By that point, it felt inevitable.

A Servant of the Moment

At 40-30 in the final game, with match point in her grasp, Paolini delivered a clutch serve right down the T. Gauff barely moved. The ball kissed the clay and skipped away—game, set and championship.

The Italian dropped her racket, looked to the sky, and embraced the moment with wide eyes and a smile that stretched all the way back to Bagni di Lucca.

“I still can’t quite believe it,” she said after the match, surrounded by photographers and flanked by the trophy. “To win here, at home, in front of this crowd… it’s something I dreamed of, but it felt so far away for so long.”

A Rise to the World’s Top Four

Paolini’s reward isn’t just a Roman crown. The win will lift her into the top four in the WTA rankings for the first time in her career, guaranteeing a top-four seed for Roland Garros next week.

It’s a monumental moment for Italian tennis—especially considering her compatriot Jannik Sinner is set to contest the men’s final on Sunday. The dual success represents something of a golden era for the nation, whose passion for the sport is being matched by elite-level results.

A Shot at Doubles Glory Too

Paolini’s work in Rome isn’t done just yet. She and fellow Italian Sara Errani are into the women’s doubles final, where they’ll face Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens. If they triumph, Paolini would become the first woman since Monica Seles in 1990 to win both the singles and doubles titles at the Italian Open.

Should she manage that, she would also join Vera Zvonareva as the only woman in WTA 1000 history to achieve the rare double crown, something Zvonareva last did at Indian Wells in 2009.

Gauff Flat, but Future Bright

For Coco Gauff, it was a day when little seemed to go right. Her serve, usually a weapon, faltered under pressure. She struggled to dictate points and looked a step slow in key moments.

Yet, this should not be seen as a setback of major concern. Gauff remains one of the premier players on the tour and will be among the favourites in Paris. But on this day, the court belonged to Paolini—and there was no room for compromise.

“She played an amazing match,” Gauff said in defeat. “I couldn’t really get into my rhythm. She deserved it today. Full credit to her.”

Italian Tennis Soars into Roland Garros

As the clay season enters its final and most prestigious chapter, Italian tennis finds itself in a celebratory—and hopeful—mood.

Paolini’s title in Rome is not just a personal breakthrough. It’s a statement that her run to the later stages of Slams last season was no fluke, and that on her day, she can take down the very best.

Now, with momentum, crowd support, and a top-four seeding behind her, she heads to Paris not just as a contender, but as a genuine threat for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.

It took 40 years, but Rome has a new queen—and Jasmine Paolini wears the crown with grace, grit, and a glowing smile.