Jasmine Paolini continued her dream run at the Italian Open, becoming the first Italian woman in over a decade to reach the final of the prestigious tournament with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over American Peyton Stearns on Thursday. She will now face U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff in a highly anticipated final.
Paolini’s triumph marks the first time an Italian woman has reached the final in Rome since her doubles partner, Sara Errani, finished runner-up to Serena Williams in 2014. Overcoming a sluggish start, the 29-year-old rallied from 4-1 down in the first set to take control of the match, energizing the home crowd with her spirited comeback.
“I am very happy, I don’t know what to say! It’s a dream to be here, it’s a dream to play in Italy, it’s a dream to be able to play the final,” said an emotional Paolini. “We won this match together,” she told the crowd. “Point after point I managed to fight, to turn it around.”
The Italian’s momentum surged in the second set, where she dominated with aggressive shot-making and broke Stearns five times. The match ended when the American sent a forehand wide, sending the home crowd into jubilation as Paolini raised her arms in celebration.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff advanced to her first Italian Open final after edging past Zheng Qinwen 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4) in a grueling match lasting over three and a half hours. The semifinal was a battle of endurance, featuring wild swings in momentum and a total of 35 unforced errors in the opening set alone.
Gauff, who let a 5-3 lead slip in the first set before taking the tiebreak, overcame a second-set comeback from Zheng and steadied herself in the decider to book her second straight WTA 1000 final, following her runner-up finish in Madrid.
“It was a tough one today,” Gauff said post-match. “I just tried to stay mentally composed and fight for every point.”
Sinner’s Statement Win
Italy’s celebrations didn’t end there. In the men’s draw, world number one Jannik Sinner delivered a masterclass performance, dismantling Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud 6-0, 6-1 in a stunning quarter-final display.
Sinner dropped just seven points in a flawless first set and won eight consecutive games before Ruud finally got on the scoreboard. The Norwegian raised his arms in mock celebration after winning his lone game, drawing laughter from the crowd, but Sinner quickly resumed his dominance to finish the match in just 63 minutes.
“I was feeling great on court today,” Sinner said. “My goal was to understand where my level is in this tournament. It raised day by day, so I’m very happy. Everything worked very well—serving, returning, and movement.”
Sinner will face American Tommy Paul in the semi-final, while the other last-four clash will see fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti take on Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.
With Paolini and Sinner both advancing deep into their respective draws, Italian tennis is experiencing a historic moment in Rome — one the home fans are savoring with pride and growing anticipation.
