Italian Open: Coco Gauff beats Tereza Valentova 6-3, 6-4 to advance

Third-seeded Coco Gauff successfully moved into the third round of the Italian Open after defeating Czech teenager Tereza Valentova on May 7, 2026.

In a historic victory, Gauff outcompeted Valentova 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour and 34 minutes, marking her 20th win of the 2026 season.

The tennis star also broke Valentova’s serve six times, overcoming a rocky second set where the score was levelled twice at 3-3 and 4-4.

Gauff revealed she was "physically spent" during her previous tournament in Madrid due to illness but chose to fight through rather than withdraw. Despite the setbacks, she expressed high confidence in her movement and sliding abilities on clay surfaces.

During a post-game interview, Third-Seed talked about her illness contacted during Madrid Open, citing, “I mean, it was pretty good today, I think I was not completely happy in some moments with how I was going out there, but overall, I think I stepped up my game when it mattered, and I’m happy with just being able to close out that second set.”

"I think I feel very comfortable moving on [clay], sliding, things like that. I like to do it," said Coco Gauff.

She also attributed her seven double faults to the pressure applied by Valentova and different playing conditions in Rome, such as the lower altitude.

Despite a challenging service game marked by seven double faults, Gauff secured her 18th career win at the Foro Italico.

"I learned from last time going into the US Open as defending champion, so I’m hoping this time I’m a little bit more chill, which I think I do, because your body experiences something before, it knows how to react, and you train your mind," said Gauff.

On Saturday, May 9, she is going to face unseeded Argentine Solana Sierra in the third round.