Coco Gauff reaches first Rome final in a 3 hour and 32 minute long thriller

American tennis player Coco Gauff has advanced to the final of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, the prestigious WTA 1000 event held in Rome. In a grueling semifinal match on Thursday, Gauff, the No. 4 seed, outlasted her opponent, No. 8 seed Zheng Qinwen, in a marathon three-set battle. The final score was 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4).

The match was a true test of endurance, lasting an extensive 3 hours and 32 minutes. This duration makes it the longest match of Coco Gauff's career to date and also the longest match seen on the Hologic WTA Tour so far this year. Gauff's victory is historically significant, as she becomes the first American woman to reach the singles final in Rome in nine years, since Serena Williams last won the title in 2016.

The semifinal against Zheng mirrored aspects of their previous lengthy encounter, the 2024 WTA Finals Riyadh final, where Gauff also won after coming back from being a break down in the final set and winning in a tiebreak. In this Rome match, Gauff again found herself break down in the decisive third set but showed remarkable resilience to fight back and force another tiebreak, ultimately prevailing.

Following the grueling contest, Gauff commented on the demanding nature of the match, stating she was "just trying to go for every point" and knew it would be a physical challenge, referencing their prior long match. Despite the win, Gauff honestly assessed her performance, saying, "Overall I'm just happy. Wasn't my best level at all, to be honest. Just happy to get through it and through to another final." She also noted the slow court and heavy balls, which made hitting winners difficult compared to their Riyadh match.

This appearance in the Rome final marks a breakthrough for Gauff, who had previously been unsuccessful in her two prior semifinal appearances at the tournament, having failed to win a single set in those matches. Her 17th career main-draw win in Rome is surpassed only by her win tally at Roland Garros.

Coco Gauff will now compete for the championship against home favorite and top-ranked Italian player, Jasmine Paolini. Gauff will aim to become the first U.S. player to claim the singles title in Rome since Serena Williams' victory in 2016.