The women’s title in Rome went to Elina Svitolina, and it felt important in more ways than one. The Ukrainian defeated Coco Gauff 6-4 6-7(3), 6-2 in the final to win her third Italian Open title. In doing so, she became the first Ukrainian player to reach 20 WTA singles titles, and this was also her first title in Rome since becoming a mother. It was not just another tournament win. It was a strong statement before Roland Garros, and another reminder that the women’s side is still very open heading into Paris.
That is what makes the women’s game so interesting right now. Unlike the men’s side, where the story often feels more limited, the women’s side keeps changing from week to week. On the women’s side, it changes all the time. One week it may be Sabalenka, another week Swiatek. Then there are players like Rybakina, Gauff, Pegula, Andreeva, Paolini and Kostyuk, who can all make a big run at any time. And now, after Rome, Elina Svitolina has firmly put her name back into that group as well. Her title run was not an easy run. She beats Rybakina in the quarter-finals, Swiatek in the semi-finals and Gauff in the final. That is the kind of week that naturally makes people look at her differently before Roland Garros.
What made Svitolina’s Rome run even more impressive was the way she came through such tough matches. She lost the first set to Rybakina before coming back to win 2-6 6-4 6-4. Against Swiatek, she had to start again after dropping the second set, but still finished strongly to win 6-4 2-6 6-2. Then in the final, she held her nerve after a close second set and still found enough to finish off Gauff. It was a hard week, but she kept finding answers.
That is why Rome felt bigger than just one title. It was another reminder of how open the women’s game still is. Sabalenka remains one of the biggest names, Swiatek is always dangerous on clay, Gauff keeps building her momentum, Rybakina is probably playing the best tennis of her life since the 2025 WTA Finals, and now Svitolina has pushed herself strongly back into that group as well. With Roland Garros now next, the women’s draw feels even more interesting and completely unpredictable.
From an Asian tennis point of view, Rome also gave some encouraging signs. Even though the title did not go to an Asian player, the women’s side once again showed the region’s growing depth. Rybakina made another strong run, Naomi Osaka and Qinwen Zheng are still trying to build their rhythm again, and younger players like Alexandra Eala continue to give Asia fresh hope. That is a big difference from the men’s side, where the Asian challenge still feels thinner. In the women’s game, Asian players are now appearing more regularly in the main draws of the biggest events, and that is an important sign.
So now the attention turns to Roland Garros, and Rome has only made the women’s draw feel more open. Svitolina’s title adds another serious contender to a field that already had many. Unlike the men’s side, there is no single clear favourite going into Paris, and that is what makes it so interesting. After what she did in Rome, Svitolina will have every reason to believe she can carry that run forward.
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