Before recovering with a good performance in Madrid, Coco Gauff had been struggling recently.
Gauff defeated Qinwen Zheng to win the WTA Finals title in Saudi Arabia, capping the 2024 for the American star.
After such a spectacular win, many people projected great things for Gauff in 2025, but nothing quite came to pass in the first several months of the season.
Prior to the 2025 Madrid Open, the 21-year-old had a somewhat lackluster 14-6 record and had not advanced to a tour-level semifinal during the year.
In the Spanish capital, Gauff bounced back and advanced to the final, where she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets, 3-6, 5-7.
One legendary figure from the American WTA Tour shared her thoughts on Gauff's march to the Madrid final after the match.
Two-time US Open winner Tracy Austin discussed why Gauff could look on her time in Spain as a positive experience, even if she lost the final, in an interview with the Tennis Channel following the match.
Gauff gave Swiatek her worst clay court loss since 2019 in their semi-final match, as the world number four's serve remained strong.
However, Austin pointed out that during Gauff's defeat against Sabalenka in the championship match, her serve drastically declined.
She will undoubtedly be trying to resolve her serving issues before she plays again in Rome the following week.
In order to prepare for the Italian Open, a competition in which she has excelled over the years, Gauff will now head east.
Gauff has twice advanced to the Rome semifinals and has a 71% winning rate there, which is third-best among the ten WTA 1000 events.
In last year's Italian Open, Gauff fell to Swiatek 4-6, 3-6, in the semifinals, just missing out on a spot in the championship match.
Gauff, who is seeded fourth going into Italy, will be hoping for an even better performance in 2025 against a formidable competition.
The logical choice would be Swiatek, a three-time Rome winner, but many are doubting her ability to win titles because of her inconsistent 2025 play.
Given this plus her recent victory in Madrid, Sabalenka may win the trophy as she looks for retribution for losing to her Polish opponent in the previous year's final.
Alternatively, Gauff may triumph in Rome, crossing the finish line to finally win a "big" clay court championship.
When the action begins on Monday, May 5, it will undoubtedly be worth watching, but only time will tell who will take the Italian Open trophy.