Elina Svitolina defeats Coco Gauff to win Rome, her biggest title since coming back as a mom

Elina Svitolina has won by far her biggest title since coming back to the tour as a mom in 2023, battling past Coco Gauff in the final of the WTA 1000-level event in Rome on Saturday, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2.

The former world No. 3 had won three other titles since giving birth to her daughter Skai in 2022, but they were all at the WTA 250 level, at Strasbourg in 2023, Rouen in 2025 and Auckland earlier this year.

It’s actually the biggest title a mom has won in almost six years, since Victoria Azarenka won another WTA 1000 event, Cincinnati, in 2020 (which was held at the site of the US Open in New York that year).

The current No. 10 had to run the gauntlet to conquer Rome, too.

After three quick wins in her first three matches, she battled past three of the Top 4 players on the WTA rankings in the last three rounds, first taking out No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, and No. 3 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

Things looked dicey early on against Gauff in the final, as the world No. 4 and reigning Roland Garros champion jumped out to a 4-2 lead, and even held break points for a 5-2, double-break lead—but Svitolina reeled off the last four games to sneak out the first set.

After 10 straight holds to start the second set, Gauff broke for 6-5, but Svitolina broke right back to take it to a tie-break—but from 3-2 down, the American won five points in a row to send it to a third set.

After three more holds to open the decider, Svitolina caught fire one last time, winning five games in a row to run away with it, eventually clinching the milestone 50th Top 10 win of her career after two hours and 49 minutes with a reflex volley winner into the open court.

It’s her third Rome title, having also won there in 2017 and 2018, and her fifth WTA 1000 title, having won in Dubai and Toronto in 2017, too.

Svitolina also improves to an incredible 20-5 in her career in WTA finals, her only five losses when there’s a title on the line coming at New Haven and Zhuhai in 2016 (to Agnieszka Radwanska and Petra Kvitova, respectively), the WTA Finals in 2019 (to Ashleigh Barty), Auckland in 2024 (to Gauff) and Dubai this year (to Jessica Pegula).

She’s now a perfect 8-0 in her career in clay-court finals, too.

And 3-0 against Gauff this year, having also beaten the American in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the semifinals of Dubai.