Coco Gauff’s campaign at the 2026 Italian Open ended in heartbreak as she suffered a loss to Elina Svitolina in the final. After the American revealed her true feelings about the defeat, she received an outpouring of support from her parents, fellow WTA star Eva Lys, and others.
How Coco Gauff’s Parents and Eva Lys Reacted to Her Italian Open Loss
Gauff had made it a habit of battling back from a set down during her run in Rome, and she found herself in that familiar position once again against Elina Svitolina in the blockbuster final. Although the 22-year-old leveled the match by winning the second set, Svitolina dominated the decider to secure a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 victory and clinch her third Italian Open title.
Afterward, the American shared a series of memorable moments from the final on Instagram, emphasizing that the loss “stings” but expressing gratitude for the lessons it had taught her.
“ughhhhh this one stings… but I learned a lot and will improve because of it. thank you for the past 2 weeks rome ❤️🩹,” she captioned the post.
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Gauff was showered with love in the comments, with her mother, Candi, sharing a “proud” message. Eva Lys offered words of encouragement to the two-time Grand Slam champion, while Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, applauded her “impressive” run.
“I love your grit, grind, and your ability to keep fighting. I am very proud!!” Candi Gauff commented.
“still my number one tho 😔🥰,” Lys wrote.
“Amazing effort! That was impressive!” Mouratoglou shared.
The 22-year-old’s brother Codey also showed his support, with their father, Corey, echoing the sentiment.
“🏆 🏆,” Codey commented.
With her Italian Open run behind her, Gauff will now turn all her attention to gearing up for her title defense at the French Open. During her post-match press conference, she opened up about how her chaotic run at the WTA 1000 event in Rome has prepared her for Roland Garros.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of positives I can take from this tournament and a lot I can learn from. I’m sure the pressure will be there. I don’t know. I think this week I experienced all the ups and downs of a tournament that can bring you before a Grand Slam of I’ve been down, had the lead, lost the lead, I’ve been in the final, been down match point. I think I’ve experienced every scenario that can prepare me for Roland Garros. Hopefully I can actually learn from each scenario and do better,” she said.
MORE: Coco Gauff Hits Herself in the Head Again During Tense Italian Open Final Scenes
Coco Gauff is set to be the No. 4 seed at the French Open, behind world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, and four-time Roland Garros winner Iga Świątek.
