In a moment of pure sporting comedy at the Italian Open, Coco Gauff found herself at the center of an amusing blunder that had the crowd and even her opponent chuckling. The match against Zheng Qinwen had been intense, with both players battling fiercely for a spot in the final. However, early in the third set, an unexpected twist brought a light-hearted break to the tension.
As Gauff prepared to serve, she went through her usual routine, focused and ready to deliver a powerful shot. What she failed to notice was that Zheng had stepped away from the baseline to switch racquets after breaking her strings mid-rally. Completely unaware, Gauff launched her serve, only to realize moments later that there was no one on the other side of the net to return it.
The crowd erupted in laughter, and even the chair umpire couldn’t help but smile at the situation. Zheng, holding her new racquet, looked on with mild amusement, while Gauff, realizing her mistake, joined in the laughter with a sheepish grin. It was a rare moment of levity in a match that had otherwise been a gritty contest.
Despite the comic interlude, both players quickly refocused, delivering a thrilling final set that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. Gauff ultimately secured the victory in a marathon battle, winning 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (4). The match lasted over three and a half hours, with Gauff prevailing in both tiebreaks to book her place in the final.
This incident served as a reminder that even in high-stakes competition, moments of lightheartedness can bring players and fans together, making the sport even more enjoyable.
Gauff in Rome, ranking, and results in 2025
LLWWWWWWWL Now the world no.3, Coco has achieved an overall 24-7 record in 2025. Gauff is now having a run in Rome where she toppled the world no.156 Victoria Mboko 3-6 6-2 6-1, the world no.32 Magda Linette 7-5 6-3, the world no.49 Emma Raducanu 6-1 6-2, the world no.7 Mirra Andreeva 6-4 7-6(5) and the world no.8 Qinwen Zheng 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(4).
Cori Gauff will fight against the world no.5 Jasmine Paolini in the final. Their actual record is 2-1 for Gauff.
The American clinched 1 title in 2025 in Australia. The American was the runner-up in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open).
Gauff won 10 titles in her career: 7 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Qinwen Zheng in 2025
LWWWLWWWWL At the moment ranked no.8, Qinwen played her last match on the 15th of May when she surrendered to world no.3 Cori Gauff 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(4) in the semifinal in Rome (draw).
Currently, during this season Qinwen has managed to achieve a compiled 13-8 match record. Qinwen Zheng’s latest run in Rome was the best achievement of her season.
Cori Gauff and Qinwen Zheng squared off 3 times. Their actual head to head record is 3-0 for Gauff.
