Daijiworld Media Network - Rome

Rome, May 18: In a landmark moment for Italian tennis, Jasmine Paolini etched her name in history on Saturday by becoming the first Italian woman in 40 years to win the prestigious Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The No. 6 seed thrilled a roaring home crowd at Campo Centrale, defeating American No. 4 seed Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in a dominant final performance.

This victory marks the first time since 1985 — when Raffaella Reggi won in Taranto — that an Italian woman has captured the national title. It’s even more historic considering Paolini is the first Italian woman ever to win the event in Rome during the Open Era (since 1968).

The 28-year-old from Tuscany delivered a composed and clinical performance, needing just 1 hour and 29 minutes to claim her first WTA 1000 title on clay, and her third career singles title overall. This triumph follows her earlier 2024 title in Dubai and signals a powerful run-up to Roland Garros.

Paolini’s victory also settled the clay-court score with Gauff. Though the American held a 2–1 edge in their previous encounters — all on hard courts — Paolini has now beaten her twice on clay this season, including last month in Stuttgart. Their head-to-head now stands evenly at 2–2.

With this win, Paolini is projected to return to her career-high WTA ranking of World No. 4 on Monday — positioning her firmly within the Top 4 seeds at the upcoming French Open. Gauff, despite the loss, will rise to World No. 2, equalling her career-best ranking.

And Paolini’s Rome campaign isn’t over yet — she’ll return to the court with partner Sara Errani in Sunday’s doubles final, aiming for a remarkable sweep of both singles and doubles titles. If successful, she would be the first player since Vera Zvonareva in 2009 (Indian Wells) to achieve that rare WTA 1000 double.

For Italy, and for Paolini, this is more than just a win — it's a historic homecoming triumph that cements her as a national hero on the clay of Rome.