Her entry into the Italian Open final wasn't easy, but Coco Gauff was the last combatant standing after an entertaining three-hour match victory over Zheng Qinwen. The win moved the current WTA No. 3-ranked superstar into the final match, where she'll face hometown hero Jasmine Paolini.
Defeating Qinwen was no stroll through the clouds. Gauff dropped the second of three sets, and dug herself out of a 3-5 hole in the third to clinch the win, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4). Qinwen gave Gauff everything she had, resulting in an incredible showcase.
With Gauff set to face Paolini, she'll also be chasing her third WTA 1000 title, and second title of the season overall. On top of that, Gauff is now the first American to reach the finals in Rome since Madison Keys and Serena Williams fought for it in 2016, with Williams coming out on top.
Consecutive finals appearances move Coco Gauff higher in the WTA rankings
Gauff's career-high ranking was at one point No. 2 in the world. She recently struggled to get higher than No. 3, though. Despite picking up three titles in 2024 (Auckland Classic, China Open, WTA Finals), Gauff could not get past Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
Since her finals run at the Madrid Open and now reaching the same result in Rome, Gauff is back in the illustrious circle of top-ranked players. In a matter of weeks, she made the jump, proving she's still one of the best in the world.
Returning to the No. 2 spot awaits her, win or lose, after the Italian Open ends. Judging by Gauff's play of late, her season is kicking into gear just in time for the French Open, a little over a week away. Last year, Gauff reached the semifinals before losing, but she did capture the doubles title with partner Katerina Siniaková.
Gauff knows how to win at Roland Garros, so her finals runs in Madrid and now Rome are shaping up to be the perfect lead-up to another Grand Slam run.