Coco Gauff made it to her second consecutive final of the Italian Open with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sorana Cirstea in the semis. The American has had a challenging run in the tournament, but has managed to pass every test so far and has reached her second final of the season. After the match, Gauff shared her candid remarks on the scoring system and called for a major rule change.
When asked if she would like to bring a change to the current scoring system, Gauff admitted that while the system is unique, it can turn out to be quite confusing for new fans.
“Yeah, it is very brutal at times, and also favorable at times. I think the uniqueness of our sport is that it’s not over until it’s over. If there’s anything I would change about the scoring? Maybe, like, the way the games are 15-Love, 30-Love. That doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s so hard to explain that to people. It’s 15-30, but it goes to 40. Why? I don’t know, 1-0, 1-All situation. At least make it incrementally. It should be 45, not 40, so yeah,” she said during the post-match press conference.
To support Gauff’s point, people initially used a clock face system to determine the scoring back in medieval France (15th-16th century). 45 was used instead of 40 when a player won the third point of a game, and the game was won when the hand of the clock reached 60. However, it is believed that 45 was later shortened to 40 for faster gameplay.
The latter system was adopted in modern tennis and is still used today. These rules were first solidified in 1877 by the All England Croquet Club before the first-ever edition of Wimbledon. Since then, no changes have been made to the scoring system, and it is expected to remain the same in the future as well.
In 2024, tennis icon Billie Jean King shared the same sentiment as she called for a complete overhaul in the 15-30-40 scoring system and wanted a simpler 1-2-3-4 for the younger generation to grasp the sport. James Van Alen, a US Tennis official, even proposed a no-advantage movement in tennis to shorten the games. But there have been no major changes as the current scoring system continues to thrive.
After raising concerns around the scoring system, Gauff highlighted how she has managed to adapt to the current point system and has now stopped thinking too much about it. This statement comes ahead of Gauff’s title defense at the French Open, where she will have to put 2,000 ranking points on the line.
“I mean, I think I used to get caught up in the point system and things like that, just trying to defend. Now, when you really think about it, the season’s from January to November. If you’re doing the right things on the practice court and on court, and you’re healthy, you have the chance to win those points throughout the year,” she added.
Gauff also appears to be improving her serve with every match and committed just one double-fault in her encounter against Cirstea. Though the World No. 4 still leads the WTA tour for the most double-faults with 194, she does feel stable with her serve now and is aiming to find some form of consistency with it.
“No, I think it’s a real improvement. I think it’s like the first time in my career I feel like I’m really stable with that shot. Yeah, it’s been an up-and-down process. I obviously don’t want to jinx anything, but I think we found the recipe for making it more consistent. Now it’s focusing on how to make it more of a weapon, how to serve smarter, things like that, yeah,” she further said.
Having gotten past Cirstea in straight sets, Gauff is now set to face off against a familiar opponent in the final of the Italian Open.
Coco Gauff will meet Elina Svitolina in the Italian Open final
The American has set up a clash against Elina Svitolina, who has had a remarkable campaign in the tournament so far. The latter had qualified for the final after defeating Iga Swiatek 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the semis. She had also knocked out World No. 2, Elena Rybakina, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
Svitolina also leads the H2H record by 3-2 and will now be aiming to make it three consecutive wins over Gauff. On the other hand, the World No. 4 will have a chance of capturing her first singles title of the season, which will help boost her confidence heading into the French Open. Having lost the final to Jasmine Paolini last year, Gauff will be in no mood to let the opportunity slip by this time around.
Will Gauff go on to clinch her first-ever title in Rome, or will Svitolina prove to be too good once again and rack up her third win of the year over the American? Let us know your predictions in the comments!
