Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto became the fourth qualifier for the WTA 250 Hobart International title on Saturday when she upset American Iva Jovic, the No. 3 seed, in a confidence boost ahead of the Australian Open.
When I came here, I didn’t expect to win the title at all. I just wanted to play as many matches as possible and I ended up playing seven. I’m really proud of myself and I have to thank my coach because he pushed me every day. Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Hobart is Cocciaretto’s second career title, having also been runner-up here in 2023 but then making first-round exits in 2024 and 2025, and she arrived in Tasmania determined to rewrite the story.
Three years ago the Italian failed to win the singles title, bowing out to American Lauren Davis, and this year she made up for it by going all the way.
The former world number 29 entered the event at number 80 in the PIF WTA rankings, scoring two wins to qualify for the main draw and then picking up steam after escaping from 6-1, 5-3 down to fourth seed Ann Li in the second round.
The 24-year-old, whose only previous title on clay came in Lausanne in 2023, did not lose more than four games in a set for the rest of the tournament.
“When I came here, I didn’t expect to win the title at all,” she said. “I just wanted to play as many games as possible and in the end I played seven. I’m really proud of myself and I have to thank my coach because he pushed me every day.”
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The Italian started her campaign in qualifying and produced a brutal seven-match run for the title, playing all but one day of the tournament and dropping just one set along the way.
In the final, Cocciaretto set the tone early, breaking serve in the opening games and using powerful, well-placed serves to put Jovic under constant pressure as she took control of the first set.
The pattern continued in the second, where another early break allowed the Italian to dictate play and maintain the momentum through the closing stages to take victory in straight sets.
Her consistency, resilience and attacking tennis style quickly made her a fan favourite, and despite the physical demands of a week-long qualifying journey up to the final, Cocciaretto showed no signs of fatigue and showed poise and precision when it mattered most.
“I tried to be more aggressive on break points,” she said. “I told myself if you’re not aggressive, you won’t win the point. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but you have to commit to what’s right.”
“Three years ago I didn’t have this level of experience, now, after playing many matches at a high level, I can control these moments much better.
“I didn’t feel so good today, or even this past week, but I did my best and it worked. That makes me really happy.”
18-year-old Iva Jovic was the favorite to win the title but was upset by qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the championship match on Day 6 at the Domain Tennis Center
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Cocciaretto is the fourth qualifier to win the Hobart crown, following Mona Barthel in 2012, Garbiñe Muguruza in 2014 and Lauren Davis in 2023.
She is also the second Italian to win the event, after Rita Grande, who denied the US a fourth straight winner at the event 25 years ago.
The Italian rises 24 places in the rankings to number 56 as a result of her standout run in Adelaide.
Cocciaretto will meet Austria’s Julia Grabher to kick off her Australian Open campaign, while Jovic faces compatriot Katie Volynets at Melbourne Park next week.
Janice Tjen & Katarzyna Piter won the Hobart doubles title after beating Magali Kempen & Anna Siskova in Saturday’s final
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Indonesia’s Janice Tjen and Poland’s Katarzyna Piter won their second WTA doubles title with a 6-2 6-2 win over Belgium’s Magali Kempen and Anna Siskova of the Czech Republic after winning the doubles title in Guangzhou in October.
The win marks Tjen’s third doubles title, all WTA 250 events.
As for Piter, this is her sixth doubles title dating back to 2013. She won a 500 title in Merida with Mayar Sherif last March.
Hobart champion Elisabetta Cocciaretto poses alongside runner-up Iva Jovic during the trophy ceremony in Tasmania
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