Coco Gauff says what Qinwen Zheng always does against her which makes her 'uncomfortable' after their semi-final match in Rome

Coco Gauff was looking to advance to her second consecutive WTA 1000 final on clay.

The American star enjoyed a strong tournament last time out, when Gauff reached the final of the Madrid Open.

Falling short, Gauff lost to Aryna Sabalenka, 3-6, 6-7, as the Belarusian tied their head-to-head at 5-5.

Bouncing back in Rome, Gauff beat Mirra Andreeva for the second tournament running to advance to the last four.

Photo by Domenico Cippitelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Standing between Gauff and a place in the final was China’s Qinwen Zheng, who hadn’t dropped a set all tournament.

After three sets of thrilling action, Gauff got the better of Zheng, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, to set up an intriguing final against home-favorite Jasmine Paolini.

Speaking after the match, Gauff shared what her opponent always does that makes her ‘uncomfortable’.

Coco Gauff says Qinwen Zheng always forces her to play ‘uncomfortable tennis’

In an interview with Sky Sports, the world number three reflected on her win over Zheng, outlining what was ‘tough’ about the match.

“It was tough. I just wasn’t playing well,” said Gauff.

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“I was frustrated because the last few matches here, I was playing good, and I knew against her I had to bring my top level.

“I found it in moments, and some I did not, but credit to her. She always forces me to play uncomfortable tennis and get out of my comfort zone.

“I think it’s my third semi, so just happy to make it through today.”

Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images

Zheng certainly made things difficult for Gauff in their semi-final match, applying pressure which saw the 21-year-old’s serving gremlins return.

Player Aces Double faults First serve % Win % on first serve Win % on second serve Coco Gauff 2 16 58% 60% 53% Qinwen Zheng 1 4 53% 51% 43% Serving stats from Coco Gauff v Qinwen Zheng

The 16 double faults will worry Gauff, who had largely kept those issues at bay during the early rounds.

Coco Gauff double faults at the 2025 Italian Open

Credit should, of course, go to Zheng, who pushed Gauff all the way in Rome, just as she did in Saudi Arabia last November.

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Zheng lost to Gauff in the final of the WTA Finals, in another three-set battle, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7.

Losing her second straight match against Gauff in a deciding-set tiebreaker, Zheng will no doubt look for revenge should the pair face off again in 2025.

The Chinese star will now rest up before the French Open begins on Sunday, May 25.

Gauff, on the other hand, will set her sights on the Italian Open title and a fourth career meeting with Paolini.

Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini’s head-to-head record

The pair have faced off three times previously, with each match potentially providing clues as to who will come out on top in Rome on Saturday.

2021 Adelaide International 1R – Coco Gauff beat Jasmine Paolini

Both Gauff and Paolini made their way through qualifying to set up their first WTA Tour match in Adelaide four years ago.

It was Gauff who took the initiative, winning the first set 6-4 before Paolini battled back, sending things to a decider when she won the second set tiebreaker.

She couldn’t finish the job, however, as Gauff eased into the second round, taking the final set 6-2, securing her first career victory over Paolini.

2023 Cincinnati Open QF – Coco Gauff beat Jasmine Paolini

Again advancing through to the main draw as a qualifier, Paolini took on the number seven seed Gauff in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Cincinnati Open.

The Italian didn’t put up nearly as much of a fight this time, as she lost in straight sets, 3-6, 2-6, handing Gauff a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head.

2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix QF – Jasmine Paolini beat Coco Gauff

Battling it out on clay for the first time, Paolini and Gauff fought for a place in the Stuttgart semi-finals last month.

The Italian, showing her skills on the red dirt, secured her maiden career win over Gauff, 6-4, 6-3.

Paolini may still trail the head-to-head 1-2, but will head into the Italian Open final with the momentum on her side.

Another important factor that shouldn’t be underestimated is the crowd in Rome, who will no doubt show their support for the home favorite.

Only time will tell who will come out on top, but it’ll certainly be worth tuning in for when Gauff and Paolini face off for the Italian Open title on Saturday, May 17.

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