Elina Svitolina’s 2026 season continued to blossom on Saturday with victory against Coco Gauff in the Italian Open final.
Svitolina defeated Gauff 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 in the Foro Italico, winning her third title at the event and her first since 2018.
Svitolina congratulated Gauff on an excellent Italian Open campaign, while Annabel Croft claimed the Ukrainian is now a contender for the Roland Garros title later this year.
Is this the year Elina Svitolina finally wins a Grand Slam?
She's the 2026 Italian Open champion!
Following her title triumph in Rome, Svitolina is set to move up three places in the WTA rankings, from world number 10, to 7.
This rankings rise has the potential to significantly boost Svitolina’s chances of winning Roland Garros this year.
Elina Svitolina will be seeded within the top eight for Roland Garros
Svitolina is set to be ranked seventh on the WTA Tour from Monday, meaning she will most likely be seeded seventh at Roland Garros.
As a consequence, Svitolina is more likely to receive a propitious draw in Paris.
Projected WTA top 10 after the Italian Open
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Elena Rybakina
- Iga Swiatek
- Coco Gauff
- Jessica Pegula
- Amanda Anisimova
- Elina Svitolina
- Mirra Andreeva
- Victoria Mboko
- Karolina Muchova
Prior to the Italian Open, Svitolina was set to be seeded 10th, meaning that she would be projected to play a top-eight ranked player in the fourth round.
However, now that Svitolina has entered the world’s top eight players, she will not face a top-eight ranked player until the quarter-finals.
Therefore, the Ukrainian has significantly increased her chances of winning her first Grand Slam title.
Svitolina must be considered one of the favourites to win Roland Garros when taking into account her form throughout 2026.
The 31-year-old has demonstrated an ability to beat the very best – including Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva – on multiple surfaces, reaching at least the semi-finals at six of the nine WTA events she has competed in.
Along with Aryna Sabalenka, Svitolina has demonstrated the most consistent form on the WTA Tour this year, and she will be a force to be reckoned with in Paris later this month.
What Elina Svitolina could achieve by winning Roland Garros
If Svitolina wins Roland Garros next month, she would become the second-oldest first-time female Grand Slam champion in tennis history.
Flavia Pennetta, who won her sole Grand Slam singles title at the 2015 US Open, is currently the oldest-ever first-time major winner.
Pennetta, of Italy, won the 2015 US open while aged 33 years and 199 days, defeating compatriot Roberta Vinci in the final.
If Svitolina were to triumph in Paris, she would eclipse the feats of Francesca Schiavone, Madison Keys, Jana Novotna and Kerry Reid.
The oldest female first-time Grand Slam singles champions
- Flavia Pennetta – 33 years, 199 days when she won the 2015 US Open
- Francesca Schiavone – 29 years, 346 days when she won the 2010 French Open
- Madison Keys – 29 years, 343 days when she won the 2025 Australian Open
- Jana Novotna – 29 years, 275 days when she won 1998 Wimbledon
- Kerry Reid – 29 years, 154 days when she won the 1977 Australian Open
Keys is the most recent first-time champion, having won the 2025 Australian Open title after beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
