Elina Svitolina claimed her third Italian Open title by defeating Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 in a two-hour, 45-minute final at the Foro Italico. The 31-year-old Ukrainian lifts the trophy in Rome for the first time since 2018, eight years after her last triumph.
Gauff seized an early advantage with a break for a 4-2 lead in the opening set, but Svitolina responded with four consecutive games to take control. The American never regained that level of dominance.
The second set produced a different script. Gauff raised her intensity to snatch the tiebreak 7-3, leveling the match. But Svitolina delivered a masterful deciding set, converting 40% of her break points against just 18% for Gauff (3/17). Seven Gauff double faults, compared to Svitolina's two, sealed the outcome.
This title is historic on multiple fronts. Svitolina becomes the oldest player to hold three or more titles at a single WTA 1000 event, surpassing Serena Williams' 2013 Miami record. She also reaches 20 career WTA titles, a first for any Ukrainian player.
To get there, Svitolina navigated the toughest possible path. In four days, she eliminated (world No.2), (No.3), and Gauff (No.4), all in three sets. No player had beaten three top-5 opponents at a single WTA 1000 event this season.
Svitolina heads to Roland-Garros with supreme confidence and a career-perfect 8-0 record in clay-court finals.
