ROME — Elina Svitolina defeated Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2 in the women's final of the Italian Open in Rome to claim her third title at the tournament. The 31-year-old Ukrainian had previously won the event in 2017 and 2018, meaning her 2026 victory came eight years after her second title.

Svitolina reached the final by beating Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Gauff — who is ranked fourth in the women's singles rankings — in three-set matches over the course of the tournament. Gauff herself had to navigate a demanding draw before reaching the final.

"It's very hard to believe that it's been eight years since I had this trophy and very pleased with the two weeks here," Svitolina said after lifting the trophy. The win marked the culmination of a run in which she did not drop a set in her first-round matches and overcame three top opponents in succession.

Speaking during the trophy ceremony, Gauff addressed Svitolina directly. "You had an incredible tournament - a lot of long matches against great players so congratulations to you and your team," she said. Gauff also reflected on falling short in the final. "I'm on the other side but hopefully one of these days I can get over that," she said.

The 2026 result followed the 2025 edition of the tournament, when Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman to win the Italian Open in 40 years. Svitolina's title in 2026 makes her the most recent non-Italian champion at the event.