Remember when Coco Gauff last faced Jasmine Paolini on clay? It was just last month in Stuttgart, where the two WTA stars battled under a neutral German crowd at the WTA 500. That day, Paolini stunned the American with a commanding 6–4, 6–3 win, her first over Gauff, taking their H2H win-loss to 2-1. Fast forward, and fate has lined them up once again, this time on a grand stage, the Italian Open final! But this time, Paolini has an entire nation behind her, and Coco knows it won’t be easy. Just before the final, former Grand Slam champ Andy Roddick, weighing in on the matchup, issued a word of caution for Gauff! 

Gauff’s performance at the Foro Italico has been exemplary, highlighting her resilience and consistent play on the red clay. The 4th seed has dropped just one set en route to her 2nd straight final at a WTA 1000-level event on clay. Her most remarkable performance came in the SF against 8th seed Zheng Qinwen, where she fought back from the brink. After Zheng served for the match at 5-3 in the third set, Gauff dug deep to stage a comeback, eventually prevailing 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4) in an intense three-hour, 33-minute battle, an extraordinary show of resilience.

And ahead of her much-anticipated clash against 6th-seeded Jasmine Paolini in Saturday’s final, former US Open champion Andy Roddick joined Tennis Channel’s Jim Courier and Steve Weissman to weigh in on Gauff’s chances. 

“I don’t think she’s going to make too many unforced errors against Paolini. But she’s gonna have to play better because that crowd will be kind of all over her,” Roddick said, hinting at the intense atmosphere awaiting the 3rd seed in Rome.

The former US Open champion emphasized how daunting it could be to play Paolini on Italian clay, especially with a highly partisan crowd. “They’re going to be whistling if she hits her second serve halfway over the net. But this is nothing Coco hasn’t gone through before,” he added, acknowledging Gauff’s composure under pressure.

Meanwhile, Paolini has also battled her way into the spotlight with a series of gritty performances. In the SF, she defeated American Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1 after trailing in the early stages. Her run includes a major QF comeback against Diana Shnaider, where she rallied from a set and 4-0 down, thrilling the home crowd.

As she heads into the final, Paolini is looking to make history by becoming the 1st Italian woman to win the Rome title in 40 years. After her SF win, she told the crowd, “You (the crowd) gave me a boost because today it was a bit of an uphill start and I struggled at the beginning, thank goodness you were there. We won this match together.”

And with crowd energy behind Paolini and Gauff facing pressure points, particularly on her serve, Roddick’s insights suggest a thrilling, high-stakes battle awaits in Rome.

“Have the mentality to create speed”: Andy Roddick on Coco Gauff’s second serve woes

Coco Gauff’s 2nd serve has been under the spotlight this season, drawing increasing criticism because of a rising number of double faults. Heading into the Italian Open, the former US Open champion had already tallied 151 double faults across just 26 matches. Her inconsistency from the service line has sparked concern, especially considering her performance in the SF at Foro Italico, where she hit 15 double faults against Zheng Qinwen. That shaky display has raised questions about whether she can maintain composure and serve effectively under pressure in the final against Jasmine Paolini.

Tennis legend Andy Roddick recently broke down the issue on the same Tennis Channel show, identifying Gauff’s ball toss as the primary culprit behind her double-fault struggles. Sharing his firsthand observation, Roddick explained just how much of the issue is mental as well as technical at the same time.

“I’ve watched her step, three feet from her, she’s ripping it and the net’s not even in play in practice, right?” he said. “I think it’s just a matter of training that mentality, you kinda have to hit the bottom of the ball a little bit, or at least have the mentality to create speed and margin by kind of rolling over from the bottom.” 

Despite the serving woes, Gauff has delivered a solid 2025 season so far, amassing a 24-7 win-loss record and playing a key role in securing Team USA’s 2nd United Cup title. However, with no singles title yet this year, the Italian Open final presents a crucial test. 

Facing an inspired Paolini backed by a roaring home crowd, Gauff must not only tame her serve but also summon the grit that brought her to this stage. The spotlight is on, and how she handles it could define her clay-court season going forward!