Third seed Coco Gauff successfully advanced to the third round of the Italian Open after defeating Czech teenager Tereza Valentova on May 7, 2026.
In a historic victory, Gauff defeated Valentova 6–3, 6–4 in 1 hour and 34 minutes, marking her 20th victory of the 2026 season.
The tennis star also broke Valentova’s serve six times and overcame a difficult second set in which the score was leveled twice: 3-3 and 4-4.
Gauff revealed that she was “physically exhausted” due to illness during her previous tournament in Madrid, but chose to fight on rather than withdraw. Despite the setbacks, she was very confident in her movement and gliding ability on clay surfaces.
During a post-match interview, Third-Seed opened up about her illness that she had been in contact with during the Madrid Open, stating: “I mean, it was pretty good today. I think at some points I wasn’t completely happy with how I went there, but overall I think I stepped up my game when it mattered, and I’m happy I was able to close out that second set.”
‘I think I’m really happy to move on [clay]sliding, that kind of thing. I like doing it,” said Coco Gauff.
She also attributed her seven double faults to the pressure Valentova applied and the different playing conditions in Rome, such as the lower elevation.
Despite a challenging service game marked by seven double faults, Gauff claimed her 18th career victory at the Foro Italico.
“I learned from the last time I went to the US Open as a defending champion, so I hope this time I’m a little more relaxed, which I think I’m doing, because your body experiences something before, it knows how to react and you train your mind,” Gauff said.
On Saturday, May 9, she will face the unseeded Argentinian Solana Sierra in the third round.
