Apart from Vera, no tennis player has ever won a single “thousand-dollar” tournament in both categories at once – singles and doubles.
On Saturday, May 17, the women’s singles final took place at the super tournament in Rome. The title was fought between the 2023 US Open champion Cori Gauff, seeded fourth, and two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini (6). Gauff beat Mirra Andreeva for the fourth time in a row in the quarterfinals (6:4, 7:6 (7:5)), and in the semifinals, in an incredible fight, she defeated Zheng Qinwen. The match, which ended with a score of 7:6 (7:3), 4:6, 6:4 in favor of the American, lasted more than three and a half hours and ended at half past twelve at night local time. Paolini, on the other hand, won a strong-willed victory over Diana Schnyder (6:7 (1:7), 6:4, 6:2) in the quarterfinals, and then dealt with Python Stearns (7:5, 6:1).
Rome 2025. Women. Tournament bracket Tournament bracket
For Gauff, this final was the second of the season and the 12th in her career. In previous title matches, Cori had excellent statistics: nine wins and only two losses, including two weeks ago in Madrid. And Paolini, who reached the title match for the first time in 2025, won only two of her previous seven finals.
In personal meetings, the situation was twofold. Gauff was leading 2-1; at the same time, the only match Paolini won was on clay, and quite recently, in Stuttgart. In that quarterfinal, Jasmine defeated Cori with a score of 6:4, 6:3. And Gauff won both of her victories on hard. In Adelaide-2021, the tennis players played all three sets (6:4, 6:7 (4:7), 6:2), and in the quarterfinals of Cincinnati-2023, two were enough (6:3, 6:2).
Paolini, giving a commentary after reaching the final, did not yet know who would win the other semifinal, Gauff or Zheng. “They both play well. They have an effective forehand, which can always upset. In any case, it will be a tough match. “I will have to try to beat one of them,” the Italian said at a press conference.
And Cori recalled her defeat to Jasmine in Stuttgart. “It was a tough match. She played great then. I think she will play great tennis here, with the support of the home crowd. I have to be ready for that. I hope I can show a higher level and maybe take the title,” the WTA press service quotes the American as saying.
Gauff, who made as many as 15 double faults in the semi-finals, also started this final with her. In the first game, the American did not look her best in exchanges, and Paolini immediately achieved a break. However, the Italian was unable to confirm it, although Cori had to make more effort (from the third break point) to restore equality – 1:1.
In general, Gauff’s game did not go well in the opening games: she tried to act as the first number, but often made mistakes. Cori gave up the third game with 30:0 on serve, after which Paolini confirmed the break – 3:1.
The Italian also did not always act accurately, but the key points remained with her. Jasmine won back the break point, and in the next game she held the serve, despite all the efforts of her opponent – so the score became 4:2. In one of the games, Paolini, trying to catch up with the shortened one, slipped and fell – fortunately, there were no injuries, only her dress was dirty.
Actually, all the games were fought, but each time they went to the server. And in the 10th game, Paolini served for the set at zero – 6:4 in 53 minutes. Gauff made 31 unforced errors (and four doubles, of course), and 12 winners with such statistics are a small consolation. And Paolini had seven winners and 14 unforced ones.
The start of the second set was also joyless for Gauff. The American made two double faults per game, and Paolini, as in the first set, started with a break. The Italian, driven by her home crowd, if not dominating on the court, then something close to it, and continued to increase her advantage. The only exception was the fourth game, in which Paolini gave up her serve. However, immediately after that, Jasmine took the game on return and again broke away by two breaks – 4:1.
Two games later, Paolini at 5:2 served for the title. She got her way with the second match point — 6:4, 6:2 in 1 hour 30 minutes. Well, Gauff finished the match with 55 unforced ones — you can’t win a final like that.
Rome (w). Final
17 May 2025, Saturday. 18:10 Moscow time
Cori GauffUSA
Cori Gauff
Finished
0 : 2
1 2 3
4 2
6 6
Jasmine Paolini
Thus, Paolini won her first title of the season and the third in her career, including her second at a WTA-1000 tournament (after Dubai-2024, when the Italian defeated Anna Kalinskaya in the final). Jasmine became only the second Italian to win in Rome — after Raffaella Reggi-Concato