Coco Gauff lost to Elina Svitolina, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, in the final of the 2026 Italian Open.
For the second year running, Gauff came up just short in Rome.
Gauff was disappointed with the result, of course, but recognized the lessons she learned from the defeat.
Is this the year Elina Svitolina finally wins a Grand Slam?
She's the 2026 Italian Open champion!
During her post-match press conference, the world number four highlighted the big mistake she made in the Italian Open final.
Coco Gauff admits she was ‘way too passive’ in Italian Open final defeat to Elina Svitolina
“Today’s definitely a match I learned from,” she said.
“I gave myself a lot of opportunities and just didn’t really capitalize on them.
“Played way too passive in certain moments.
“Just a learning experience for next time.”
Gauff was asked about her break-point struggles and whether anything was missing from her game.
Italian Open final – Match stats (2hr, 49)
| Stats | Elina Svitolina | Coco Gauff |
| Aces | 2 | 1 |
| Double faults | 2 | 7 |
| 1st Serve % | 64% | 65% |
| Winners | 38 | 36 |
| Unforced errors | 62 | 67 |
| Break points | 6/15 | 3/17 |
| Total points won | 127 | 115 |
“I mean, nothing was missing,” she said.
“I think it was more of a sense of nerve.
“When you give yourself that many opportunities, it’s not a game thing because your game is fine because you’re making those opportunities. It’s just being better on those points.
“I think I was, again, like I said, too passive.
“Some of them I got unlucky in the first set. A couple of let cords. She raised her level.
“A lot of them, I think I just didn’t put enough on the ball.”
Gauff carved out 17 break-point opportunities in the final, converting just three.
Had she been more clinical, perhaps it would have been her lifting the Italian Open trophy.
Luckily for Gauff, this isn’t the first time she’s lost a final in Rome.
And last time, it worked out pretty well in the end…
Coco Gauff won Roland Garros after losing the Italian Open final last year
Gauff reached her first Italian Open final a year ago, where she met the home favourite, Jasmine Paolini.
Her first Rome final wasn’t nearly as competitive as her second, as Gauff lost in straight sets, 4-6, 2-6.
But as she so often does, Gauff bounced back brilliantly, immediately switching focus to Roland Garros.
There, the American qualified for her second final and her first in three years.
Coco Gauff’s route to the 2025 French Open final
- 1R [WIN] vs Olivia Gadecki, 6-2, 6-2
- 2R [WIN] vs Tereza Valentova, 6-2, 6-4
- 3R [WIN] vs Marie Bouzkova, 6-1, 7-6
- 4R [WIN] vs Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-0, 7-5
- QF [WIN] vs Madison Keys, 6-7, 6-4, 6-1
- SF [WIN] vs Lois Boisson, 6-1, 6-2
Standing between Gauff and the French Open title was the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka.
The Belarusian had stunned the three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the previous round and had beaten Gauff in the Madrid Open final a month earlier.
She was up against it, but refused to back down, engaging in a true battle on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Sabalenka took the first set, 7-6, although momentum shifted when the wind picked up.
Adapting to the windy conditions in Paris, Gauff won the second and third sets, 6-2, 6-4, doubling her Grand Slam tally in style.
The 22-year-old would love nothing more than to repeat the feat in 2026.
And she is certainly a contender to lift the title.
Unlike most years, there is no one clear favourite; rather, eight or nine players are in with a shot of French Open glory.
The ‘big three’ of Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina are all safe bets to make the second week, and the title-winning Ukrainian duo, Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, could also be worth keeping an eye on.
As could Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Jessica Pegula, and several other WTA stars.
There may never be a more wide-open Roland Garros draw than this, so don’t miss any of the action!
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
