Reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff demonstrated her resilience once again on clay, coming back from match point down to defeat 18-year-old American Iva Jovic in the fourth round of the Italian Open. The victory builds on her recent momentum ahead of her Roland Garros title defense.
Gauff appeared headed for an early exit as she trailed 5-7, 3-5 against the teenager from Torrance, California. But the world No. 4 saved a match point before rallying for a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 win. It was the second time in Rome where Gauff had to recover from a set down, having done the same against Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the previous round.
Despite the win, Gauff acknowledged she must elevate her game to match her run to the Italian Open final a year ago—and to contend at the French Open, which begins on May 24. That standard was underlined by Iga Swiatek, a four-time Roland Garros champion and three-time Rome winner, who demolished former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-1.
Gauff, who secured her second Grand Slam title by beating Aryna Sabalenka in the 2025 Roland Garros final, was far from her best in a wind-affected contest against Jovic. The match was also briefly disrupted by the roar of fighter jets flying over the Foro Italico complex.
“I’m just proud—Iva played really good tennis and the conditions weren’t the easiest. Everything was going on,” said Gauff. “Thanks to my team—their pep talk helped me mentally.”
The American’s main emotion might have been pride, but her relief at avoiding another early clay-court exit—following a quarterfinal loss in Stuttgart and a fourth-round defeat in Madrid—was palpable. Struggling with footwork and an erratic forehand, Gauff looked a shadow of her usual self in the opening two sets. Yet after Jovic missed a match point with a tight forehand into the net, the 17th-ranked teenager became distracted by a cut on her finger from an earlier fall on the red dirt.
Gauff seized the opportunity, showcasing the indomitable spirit that has defined her rise to the top. A flustered Jovic was clearly uncomfortable with her grip, which led to a flurry of errors. Gauff, who has said she is navigating “tough” off-court issues, quickly turned the second set in her favor.
The third set was far from clean, but Gauff understood the importance of simply keeping the ball in play and capitalizing on Jovic’s struggles. Jovic, who reached the Australian Open quarterfinals earlier this year, continued to hit loosely and her first serve percentage plummeted as the two exchanged five breaks of serve. Gauff steadied herself to win the final three games.
“In my previous round I was not good mentally on the court, and this was a complete 180. It shows I can continue to be positive for the most part,” Gauff told Sky Sports.
Later, Swiatek—now working with former Rafael Nadal coach Francisco Roig in an effort to revive her season—looked far sharper as she overpowered Osaka. Swiatek has not won a title since September but applied relentless pressure on the Japanese star, who has rarely looked comfortable on clay. Swiatek broke Osaka six times, generating seven more break-point opportunities, while Osaka won fewer than half of the points on her own serve.
Swiatek will face fifth seed Jessica Pegula next, after the American beat Anastasia Potapova 7-6 (8-6), 6-2. They are in the opposite half of the draw from Gauff.
In the same section is second seed Elena Rybakina, who was similarly impressive in defeating former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova. Gauff’s quarterfinal opponent will be Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva, a match that will demand a significant step up in her level.
