Things did not go Coco Gauff’s way in her Italian Open final against Elina Svitolina as she fell to defeat in three sets. The American lost the first set after a double fault and let out her frustration in a unique manner.
Coco Gauff Hits Herself in the Head With Racket During Italian Open Final
The Italian Open final was a tense, hard-fought contest as Gauff and Svitolina fought to win the WTA 1000 tournament. Making her second straight appearance in the Italian Open final, Gauff fought valiantly to win the clay-court title.
However, her frustration got the better of her at the end of the first set. Gauff lost the first set 6-4, with a double fault at 15-40 allowing Svitolina to clinch the set. That was one of the 7 double faults she had in the match.
After losing the first set, Gauff showed her frustration by hitting herself in the head with her racket. She appeared emotional and angry at herself for allowing Svitolina to get the upper hand in what was a tense contest.
Coco Gauff hits herself hard in the head with the tennis racket after double faulting to lose the set 😳 pic.twitter.com/F1Kp6a8I0n
— TENNISCentel (@TennisCentel) May 16, 2026
This is not the first time Gauff has taken out her frustrations in this manner on the court. During her third-round match at the Italian Open against Solana Sierra, Gauff hit herself in the head with her racket twice after losing the first set.
The 22-year-old composed herself and fired back in the second set. She managed to level things up after winning a crucial tie-break.
However, Svitolina was not to be denied as she won the third set 6-2 and secured the Italian Open for the third time in her career. This win keeps the Ukrainian’s 100% record intact in WTA Tour clay-court finals.
After the match, Gauff congratulated Svitolina and thanked her team for their support throughout her run at the Italian Open.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t play a little better at some moments today, but it’s been a great two weeks with you guys. I definitely feel the momentum going into the French Open, a lot of lessons learned from this match. But we keep going, and I appreciate you guys. I also want to thank my mom, my dad, and the rest of my family,” she said during the post-match trophy ceremony.
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Despite losing in the final, the 2026 Italian Open campaign was one to be proud of for Gauff. She fought valiantly throughout the tournament, claiming come-from-behind wins against Sierra, Iva Jovic, and Mirra Andreeva. She also appeared to be battling an off-court personal issue, which she alluded to earlier this week.
As the reigning French Open champion, Gauff will fancy her chances of another deep run at Roland Garros this year.
