The Italian Open 2026 final is set, as world No. 4 Coco Gauff prepares to face No. 10 Elina Svitolina in Saturday's Top 10 WTA clash on clay.
Managing a rough draw, Gauff cruised to her second straight Rome final with a 6-4, 6-3 semifinal win over Sorana Cîrstea, ending another Cîrstea upset bid after she ousted No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
"It's been a marathon," Gauff said. "The first couple of rounds were tough… I was one point away from being out of the tournament, so really grateful."
Gauff rallied from a double-break deficit against Solana Sierra in the third round, saved match point against Iva Jovic in the fourth round, and came back from a set down for three straight matches through the quarterfinals.
Svitolina will compete in her first Italian Open final since 2018, after the Ukrainian downed No. 4 Iga Świątek in a hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 battle.
"The feeling is just unreal to be, after so many years, here again," Svitolina said. "Such an amazing feeling to do it in such a great way."
Svitolina holds a 3-2 edge in the head-to-head rivalry and has beaten Gauff in both of their matchups this season, including a chaotic Dubai semifinal where Gauff saved four match points in a 15-13 second-set tiebreak before falling 6-4, 6-7(13), 6-4.
The champion will earn €1,055,285 ($1.23 million) and 1,000 WTA ranking points. Gauff carries an 11-4 record in finals, while Svitolina stands perfect at 7-0 in clay-court finals.
Where to Watch the Coco Gauff vs Elina Svitolina Italian Open Final
The Italian Open final airs Saturday at 11 AM ET, live on The Tennis Channel.
