Coco Gauff exited her Rome title bid fell on Saturday after a grueling, three-set loss at the 2026 Italian Open final.
Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina outlasted the US star 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 to capture her third career clay-court championship at the Foro Italico. The intense baseline battle lasted nearly three hours before Svitolina secured her 20th career WTA title and her first 1000-level trophy since 2018.
The victory caps off a long week for the world No. 10, who defeated top-ranked stars Elena Rybakina, Iga Świątek, and Gauff back-to-back.
Gauff Looks Ahead to Roland Garros
With the historic win, Svitolina shakes up the WTA rankings, climbing to No. 7 and cementing herself as a top favorite heading into Roland Garros. Gauff, meanwhile, remains at No. 4, taking some valuable confidence into her upcoming French Open title defense despite the heartbreak of a second consecutive runner-up finish in Rome.
"Sorry I couldn’t play a little bit better in some moments today, but it’s been a great two weeks with you guys," Gauff said in her post-match press conference.
"I definitely feel the momentum going into the French Open, so a lot of lessons learned from this match, but we keep going."
French Open 2026: Full TV Schedule, Streaming Channels, Dates
Qualifying rounds for the tournament at Roland Garros begin today, May 18th, with first-round play kicking off May 24th on TNT.
