WUHAN, CHINA - OCTOBER 08: Coco Gauff of United States reacts in the Women s Singles Round of 32 match against Moyuka Uchijima of Japan on day 5 of 2025 Wuhan Open at Optics Valley International Tennis Center on October 8, 2025 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN Copyright: xVCGx 111595888867
WUHAN, CHINA - OCTOBER 08: Coco Gauff of United States reacts in the Women s Singles Round of 32 match against Moyuka Uchijima of Japan on day 5 of 2025 Wuhan Open at Optics Valley International Tennis Center on October 8, 2025 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN Copyright: xVCGx 111595888867
Coco Gauff’s Italian Open run came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday. But even after the tough loss, the former world No. 2 shared some self-deprecating humor on her Instagram story while reacting to her mistakes against Elina Svitolina.
The 22-year-old shared an ironic list called “Top 5 Horror Movies.” The list included, “1. Sitting through a trophy ceremony after you lose. 2. Talking after you lose. 3. Smiling with your finalist trophy. 4. Sitting through trophy ceremony when you lose. 5. Ceremony after you lose.”
She also made it clear that she was joking.
“Also, before the think pieces come... this is a joke, and I'm smiling while writing this. Thought it would be funny. Not meant to be taken seriously, lol, before the people with no humor get mad."
Mar 28, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Coco Gauff of the United States hits a backhand against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the final of the women’s singles at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
Mar 28, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Coco Gauff of the United States hits a backhand against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the final of the women’s singles at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
Still, the loss itself was painful for the 22-year-old.
Gauff fell to Elina Svitolina 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6 in Rome, marking her second straight loss at the final hurdle of the Italian Open. The defeat also pushed Svitolina’s head-to-head lead over Gauff to 4-2.
Gauff's frustration was visible during the ceremony.
In another Instagram story, she shared a photo of herself tightly hugging her finalist trophy while listening to Svitolina’s speech during the ceremony.
“Me disassociating, replaying all of my mistakes in my head and trying not to crash out during the ceremony,” Gauff captioned the photo.
Gauff later shared a more sincere message. She posted a selfie using her finalist trophy as a mirror with a candid caption.
“On a real note, though, was a fun two weeks, proud of myself, learned a lot, ready for Paris now.”
Following the loss, Gauff remained the WTA World No. 4 with a 24-9 singles record and no titles this season. Meanwhile, Svitolina improved to 28-7 on the year with 2 titles already, winning the ASB Classic in Auckland and now the Italian Open.
Even though Gauff tried to stay positive and learn from the defeat, the loss to Svitolina still became one of the most emotional moments of her season.
Coco Gauff Reacts Emotionally After Falling Short in Italian Open Final
The turning point came at the end of the first set. After double-faulting to lose it, Coco Gauff slammed her racket against her head, smashed it on the court, before throwing it at the sofa.
The loss also added to a difficult season for Gauff so far. She entered Rome without a title in 2026 and has dealt with several close losses and inconsistent form. Before early exits at both the Stuttgart Open and the Madrid Open, she also retired early at Indian Wells due to arm pain.
Earlier in the Italian Open, she had also hit herself with her racket during her second-round match against Solana Sierra.
Now, after losing a Masters 1000 final, Coco Gauff faces another huge challenge. As the defending French Open champion, she must defend 2,000 ranking points at Roland Garros.
Do you think Coco Gauff can reclaim her momentum as she heads to the French Open? Let us know in the comments.
Written by
Sauramita Debbarma
Edited by
Surjo Ray