Gauff drops first set, then loses just one service game to reach Rome last 16
Coco Gauff hit herself on the head with her racket after losing the first set in Rome, and then she did not lose another game for an hour. The American (No 3) ground out a 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 win over Argentine qualifier Solana Sierra.
Coco Gauff, Roma 2026 | © Foto FITP
Coco Gauff was made to work for her place in the round of 16 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, recovering from a set down to defeat Argentine qualifier Solana Sierra 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 in two hours of grinding clay-court tennis on Saturday.
The 21-year-old American No. 3 seed broke serve eight times from 22 chances and conceded only one hold of serve to Sierra across the second and third sets combined. The win takes Gauff to 19 career match wins in Rome, more than at any non-major she has played.
Her next opponent will be the winner of the match between Jovic (No.16) and Townsend.
After dropping the opener, Gauff briefly let the frustration show – she struck herself on the head with her racket, an image that quickly travelled across social media. The reset that followed was total. She did not lose a game in the second set and broke Sierra’s opening service game of the third to set the tone of the decider.
The serve remained the soft spot. Five double faults compounded a season-long pattern that has already drawn scrutiny – she hit seven against Tereza Valentová in the second round – but the return game continued to bail her out. Sierra, world No. 72 and contesting her main-draw debut in Rome after a fourth-round run in Madrid last week, simply could not find a stretch of holds against a returner of Gauff’s range.
The defending finalist now sits one win from quarter-finals at the Foro Italico for a second consecutive year. She had reached the final in 2025 before losing to Jasmine Paolini.
