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Coco Gauff suffered a shock defeat in the final of the 2025 Italian Open on Saturday, losing to Jasmine Paolini in straight sets. The American was the favorite on the day, but lost out to the Italian in front of her home fans, going down 6-4, 6-2.
Gauff was not short of confidence heading into the final, having beaten the likes of Mirra Andreeva, Emma Raducanu and Zheng Qinwen. Paolini, meanwhile, had to battle past the likes of Ons Jabeur and Jelena Ostapenko to reach the final in Rome.
On Saturday, it was the local girl who drew first blood, breaking once in the first set to take a shock lead. In the second set, it was a lot more one-sided, with Paolini dominating proceedings against an increasingly error-prone Gauff. After racing to an early 3-0 lead, the two-time Grand Slam finalist wrapped up the set 6-2 to win her second WTA 1000 title. She previously won the Dubai Tennis Championships last year.
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For Coco Gauff, meanwhile, this is the second straight big-final loss in a row. Two weeks earlier, the World No. 4 had reached the final in Madrid, but lost out to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Gauff will now travel to the French Open without a clay title this season to her name, despite which she will be one among the top favorites to win the trophy in Roland Garros.
Coco Gauff will rise to World No. 2 despite Italian Open final loss
Surprisingly, Coco Gauff will rise to World No. 2 when the rankings are refreshed on Monday, despite the loss to Jasmine Paolini at the Italian Open. She will overtake Iga Swiatek, who was the defending champion in Rome but lost out early to Danielle Collins.
Up next for Gauff is the French Open, where she is a former runner-up. That year, she lost to Swiatek in the final. In 2025, the Pole will be the three-time defending champion, and among the favorites despite a poor run of form in recent times.
The loss in Rome continues a concerning trend for Gauff, who is yet to win a big title on clay. In singles, she has lost 3 major finals -- one each at the French Open, the Madrid Open and the Italian Open. In doubles, meanwhile, she has lost four -- two at the Italian Open and one each at the Madrid Open and the French Open.
