Clay is more like an Achilles’ heel for most American tennis players unless it’s Coco Gauff! She won her first career junior Grand Slam tournament title at the 2018 French Open, and then four years later, she reached the finals of the 2022 French Open. If we look at her performance this season, she was struggling a bit on the hard courts earlier, but on clay, she has yet again found her winning momentum. Gauff has a win-loss record of 11-2 on clay this season, and while speaking on her performance, she recently said, “There’s something about clay that I have always felt comfortable on. I feel like this year, more than ever, I am moving the best that I have, especially so early in the clay season.” After reaching the QF in Stuttgart, she has now made it to two consecutive finals (Madrid and Rome). Gauff will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the final of the 2025 Italian Open, and guess what? There is a lot at stake for these two superstars in this match…

It’s time for a Buona Fiesta in Rome as the two Top 10 players face off against each other in a do-or-die match! Home-favorite Jasmine Paolini has now become the first home finalist on the women’s side in more than a decade, and she will be keen to clinch her third WTA title and her second at the WTA 1000 level. If she manages to seal a victory against Gauff, she will not only secure her first title on clay but also become the new world number 4! On the other side, irrespective of the result, Coco Gauff will return to her career-high ranking of number 2, replacing Iga Swiatek on Monday.

Other than that, in monetary terms, both Gauff and Paolini have already assured themselves €456,735 in prize money, and whoever wins the final will take home €877,390. Interestingly, despite a 2023 commitment of equal prize money for both men and women since the 2025 season, the tournament website confirmed that the prize money for the men’s winner will once again be a little higher than the women’s champion. In the previous season, Alexander Zverev took home €963,225, while Swiatek received €669,690. This year, although the gap has reduced quite significantly, with the men’s champion taking home €985,030 (around $1,123,566), it’s still not equal.

This has now indeed become the talk of the town before the finals. Now, coming back to the two finalists, Coco Gauff is currently ranked third in the world, and she has a net worth of $35 million. Gauff has an overall prize money of $23,817,810, and her earnings this season are $2,235,821. If we make a comparison, Jasmine Paolini (5) has a net worth of $4 million. She has an overall prize money of $9,765,349, with $1,295,362 (in 2025).

Who will add more to these numbers with a win on Super Saturday? It’s going to be Coco Gauff’s grit and resilience versus Jasmine Paolini and the Italian crowd! Gauff (21) has now become the youngest woman ever to reach the finals in Madrid and Rome. On the other hand, Jasmine Paolini is the third-oldest woman to reach her first Italian Open final. So, intensities are quite high, and also the stakes in this epic duel. What did both of these tennis stars say before the match?

Coco Gauff hopes to bring a better level of performance against Jasmine Paolini in the final

Coco Gauff snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat in her previous match against the number 8, Qinwen Zheng. It took her 3 hours and 32 minutes to beat Zheng in the previous match by 7-6(3),4-6,7-6(4) in the SF. Following this match, Gauff admitted that she wasn’t at her best level, but she was happy to be in yet another final. 

With this win against Zheng, Gauff became the first American woman in nine years to reach the Rome final, and now she will look forward to clinching the title for the first time (as an American woman’s player) since Serena Williams’ heroics in 2016. On the other hand, Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian women’s singles champion at this event since Raffaella Reggi in 1985. 

Talking about their H2H record, although Gauff has a 2-1 lead over the Italian, Paolini had the last laugh in the 2025 Stuttgart Open. She defeated her in the QF of the Stuttgart Open by 6-4,6-2. While sharing her thoughts about their previous encounter and this upcoming battle, Coco Gauff said, “[The Stuttgart quarterfinal vs. Paolini] was a tough match. She played well. She’s a tough opponent. I think especially here with the home crowd behind her, she’s going to be playing some great tennis. I have to expect that. Hopefully, I can bring a better level and hopefully win the title. If not, I’m proud just really of this [semifinal] match, too.“

On the other hand, the 2024 French Open champion, Jasmine Paolini, said, “I’m trying to be in the mindset that last year was a great year, but it give me a lot of confidence.” Who has the real edge in this battle on the red clay court? Share your thoughts in the comment box.