2025 WTA Rome Open recap: Winners and losers from two intense weeks in Italy

The WTA Rome Open has crowned a new champion: Jasmine Paolini, and with her triumph, two weeks of intense competition in the Eternal City come to an end. As we turn the page, we've prepared a brief recap of the final WTA 1000 event on clay before the highly anticipated Roland Garros.

After a brilliant final performance, Jasmine Paolini emerged victorious at the Foro Italico. It was a standout showing from the Italina, who now heads to the second Grand Slam of the season in peak form.

Rome offered a glimpse into what we can expect in Paris, with several players making big strides and reinforcing their status as true contenders. Others, however, leave the Italian capital with more questions than answers, and much to address if they want to stay competitive and fend off the rising stars.

Despite losing the in the duel for the title, Gauff delivered a fantastic performance in Rome, reaching the final and proving she's a force to be reckoned with on clay. The American had a strong overall swing on the surface and will be rewarded for her consistency by climbing back to World No. 2 next week. She now enters Roland Garros among the top favorites, leaving behind a slow season start and dreaming big once again.

Paolini confirmed her rising status with an inspiring title run on home soil. Her consistency and confidence were on full display, silencing any doubts that her previous success was a one-off. She's a genuine threat in Paris, and this momentum could even carry over Wimbledon, where she's shown she can be dangerous.

The World No. 1 suffered just her third loss of the season prior to advancing to a final match in Rome, meaning that she has reached six finals out of nine tournaments played in 2025. With a rock-solid game and victories this season over nearly all of her main rivals, Sabalenka enters Roland Garros as the top favorite to win the title.

After a slow start, Zheng finally delivered, The Chinese star snapped a seven-match losing streak against Sabalenka and followed it up with a strong semifinal performance against Gauff despite losing in the end against the American. She's once again a serious threat heading into the French Open.

The Polish star's slump continues. Since winning Roland Garros in 2024, she hasn't captured a single title or even reached a final. A second-round exit in Rome is another confidence blow. With her French Open title defense coming up, Swiatek urgently needs to rediscover her best form...or risk a steep drop in the rankings.

One of the saddest stories of the season. Badosa hasn't been able to take the court due to recurring injuries. She withdrew late from both Madrid and Rome, marking five consecutive tournament withdrawals. It's been a tough road back since her Australian Open semifinal run, and she heads to Paris with no rhythm and a troubling back issue.

Known for her consistency, Pegula has struggled on clay this season. After a second-round loss to Elise Mertens in Rome and an early exit in Madrid against Uchijima, her confidence has taken a hit. She'll need to regroup quickly to avoid further setback.

The former Wimbledon champion had another disappointing outing on clay, losing in straight sets to Bianca Andreescu in the second round. Last year, she made the quarterfinals in Paris, but unless she finds her rhythm in Strasbourg, matching that result seems unlikely.