Rome, May 15: Two-time champion Elina Svitolina has secured her place in the final of the thrilling 2026 Italian Open by defeating three-time winner Iga Swiatek with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
This marks Svitolina’s first final appearance since winning consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018. In the championship match, she will face Coco Gauff, who aims to claim her first title.
Both players are also vying for their first WTA 1000 title of the season. Svitolina has already defeated Gauff twice this year and hopes to maintain her impressive record in the final. After her victory over Swiatek, which lasted 2 hours and 14 minutes, Svitolina expressed, “It feels amazing to be back in the final after so many years. Performing well in this tournament and reaching the final this way is a fantastic feeling.”
In the semifinals, Svitolina saved 11 out of 16 break points, including all five in the final set. She has faced the most break points (59) of any player in this season’s WTA main draw, saving 44 of them, excluding team and Grand Slam events.
Svitolina holds a 3-2 head-to-head record against Gauff, having defeated her at the Australian Open and again in Dubai. According to the WTA, there is a 9-year and 182-day age difference between Svitolina and Gauff, the largest age gap in an Italian Open final since 1990. That year, Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles faced off with a 17-year and 45-day age difference. Notably, Gauff has become the youngest American to reach consecutive Italian Open finals since Venus Williams in 1998-99. She is also the first player to reach back-to-back finals in Rome since Swiatek in 2021-22.
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My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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