Errani and Paolini Make History as First Italian Duo to Reach WTA Finals Doubles Final

Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini have secured their place in the championship match at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, becoming the first Italian pair in history to reach the final of the season-ending tournament.

The duo earned their spot after a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Hanyu Guo and Kristina Mladenovic in the semifinals, a match that lasted one hour and 15 minutes.

This achievement marks a significant milestone for the Italian team, who had previously been eliminated in the group stages during their 2024 and 2025 appearances, according to Il Post. The win extends their current streak to eight consecutive victories, dating back to their performance at the tournament in Tokyo.

The semifinal contest against the third-seeded Guo and Mladenovic featured contrasting momentum for the Italians. After establishing an early lead in the first set with two consecutive breaks starting from 1-1, Errani and Paolini faced a deficit in the second. They trailed 1-4 before mounting a recovery that saw them win five consecutive games to close out the match, Sky Sport reported.

FORZA! 👏👏👏👏@SaraErrani and @JasminePaolini book their spot into the final after defeating Guo/Mladenovic. #FAGEWTAFinals pic.twitter.com/nvlVass2T3

— Post by @WTA on X

“From that moment we were more aggressive, we started to push the ball more,” Paolini explained to la Repubblica. “We needed a little more energy to do it. From that moment we did it and it worked.”

The final, scheduled to take place after the singles match between Elina Svitolina and Mirra Andreeva, will see the Italian pair face Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend. The second-seeded Siniakova and Townsend advanced to the title match after defeating Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani in their own semifinal, la Repubblica noted.

Errani and Paolini Make History as First Italian Duo to Reach WTA Finals Doubles Final — Photo: la Repubblica

This match is a rematch of a round-robin encounter from earlier in the tournament, which Errani and Paolini won in a comeback effort that concluded in a match tie-break. The two teams also met in March at the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami, where Siniakova and Townsend secured the win, Il Post reported.

The upcoming final represents the 15th time the Italian team has competed for a title together, and their second major final of the year following their appearances in Tokyo and Miami.

Doubles Final, here they come ✨@SaraErrani and @JasminePaolini secure their spot in the final on #TheUltimateStage #FAGEWTAFinals pic.twitter.com/gikuNp8T7I

— Post by @WTA on X

“It will be a very tough match, even if we have already beaten them in the group,” Errani said, as reported by la Repubblica. “We have to believe in ourselves.”

Paolini added, “They are extraordinary players and they play fantastic doubles. They have practically won everything. We will have to be present and focused on every single point, believe in ourselves and in the possibility of making it too.”

Errani and Paolini entered the WTA Finals as the last team to qualify, a position they secured following a semifinal run at the tournament in Tokyo, which also served as their first title of the year. Their performance in California has been marked by consistency, finishing at the top of their group with three victories in three matches before their semifinal success.

The final is scheduled for Sunday, November 15, following the singles final which begins at 9:00 p.m. local time (21:00 CET), according to Sky Sport.