Elina Svitolina beats Coco Gauff to win Italian Open and Jannik Sinner reaches men’s final

Elina Svitolina claimed her third Italian Open title in Rome on Saturday by defeating Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2, securing her first WTA 1000 victory since lifting the Rome trophy in 2018. The Ukrainian player, who also won in 2017, celebrated her 20th career title, calling it a milestone before retiring from the sport. Gauff, who had lost in the final the previous year, struggled in the decider, with Svitolina breaking her serve twice and sealing the match with a net volley on her third match point. Despite the loss, Gauff expressed momentum heading into the French Open, where she won the title in 2024. In the men’s draw, Jannik Sinner advanced to the final after overcoming Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a rain-delayed semifinal. The top-ranked Italian led 4-2 in the third set before the match was suspended, then closed out the victory in 15 minutes the following day. Sinner is now one win away from becoming the second man after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 titles and the first Italian since Adriano Panatta in 1976 to claim the Rome trophy. Sinner will face Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final, having dominated their four career meetings without dropping a set, including a 6-0, 6-1 rout in last year’s quarterfinals. Ruud acknowledged the challenge of stopping Sinner, especially in his home country, while Sinner aims to extend his record 28-match winning streak and add another Masters title before the French Open, where he remains the only Grand Slam missing from his collection. Italian President Sergio Mattarella is set to attend the men’s final, where Panatta will present the trophy. Sinner’s path to history continues as he seeks to complete the clay Masters trifecta—Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome—following Rafael Nadal’s achievement in 2010.