Elina Svitolina Captures Italian Open Title, First Significant Win in Eight Years
When facing the toughest opponents in the world, there were too many occasions in Elina Svitolina’s past when she would simply play not to lose. In the decisive moments of her most important encounters, Svitolina was often punished for her tendency to simply put the ball in court rather than attacking freely.
With time, age and many tough losses behind her along with her great successes, however, the 31-year-old has come to truly understand the importance of playing on her own terms. She has evolved into a much bolder, more decisive player, and showed her progress by taking another massive step forward in a resurgent season, defeating Coco Gauff after three bruising and attritional sets to capture her first significant title in eight years at the Italian Open with a stellar 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 win.
This victory, her third title in Rome and first WTA 1000-level title since 2018, represents a deserved milestone for Svitolina, who has been one of the most consistent and outstanding players of the year. She took the crown with a spectacular run through the draw, defeating the WTA No 2, No 3 and No 4, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Gauff, in consecutive matches to win the title. Svitolina, the seventh seed, is the oldest player to defeat three top-five players in a single WTA 1000-level event since the format’s introduction in 1990. She has now won 20 titles on the WTA tour.
Svitolina will head to Roland Garros having secured herself a top-eight seed at No 7. However, the WTA Race provides a far more accurate reflection of the Ukrainian’s level this year: Svitolina sits at No 3 in the standings behind only Aryna Sabalenka and Rybakina. She is clearly capable of winning the title.
Few things have underlined how the general level on the WTA tour has progressed over the past decade more than Svitolina’s resurgence. She reached her career-high ranking of No 3 in 2017, the same year she won her last of four WTA 1000 titles and her second in Rome. A year later, she won the WTA Finals. Svitolina was a constant fixture inside the top five during her mid-20s. Despite those career-defining achievements, there is no doubt she is now playing the best tennis of her career.
This was a gripping physical and tactical battle between two of the best in the game, but it was Gauff who held the upper hand early on, generating three break points at 4-2 for a double break and then leading 40-0 on her serve at 4-3. Her serve had actually been solid throughout this week, but it completely fell apart in the latter part of the opening set. Still, instead of simply locking down her game and waiting for her opponent to miss, Svitolina put sustained pressure on the Gauff second serve and injected pace into her forehand as she rolled through four consecutive games to take the set.
Gauff immediately reset in a high quality set two. After failing to serve out that set at 6-5, Gauff produced her best tennis of the day when her back was against the wall in the tie-break. In a series of furious, lengthy exchanges, the American was rewarded for stepping inside the court late in the second set tie-break and using her greater width and spin to drag Svitolina off the court.
By the start of set three, the momentum had shifted in favour of Gauff, who forced a break point on Svitolina’s serve at 2-1. Svitolina responded with total bravery, forcing herself inside the baseline and lasering a forehand down-the-line winner. The match instantly shifted. Svitolina spent the remainder of the final set dictating with her forehand and refusing to play on anybody’s terms but her own. She was rewarded for her initiative with a victory that signifies her return to the elite.
