As the red clay of the Foro Italico heats up, Rome delivers its usual mix of high drama, surprise exits, and commanding performances. Here’s a daily look at how the tournament is unfolding: one upset, comeback, and triumph at a time.
May 16: Alcaraz and Sinner for the title
Carlos Alcaraz secured his first Italian Open final appearance by defeating Lorenzo Musetti 6–3, 7–6 (4). The Spaniard broke early in the first set and overcame a 2–4 deficit in the second to clinch the match in the tiebreak. Alcaraz’s victory marks his eighth Masters 1000 final and his 25th overall, equaling Stefan Edberg’s record of 77 wins in his first 100 Masters 1000 matches. “If I play against Jannik, I have to be ready for that battle, and obviously deal with the crowd.” said Alcaraz before the second semifinal.
Jannik Sinner also advanced to his first Rome final by defeating Tommy Paul 1–6, 6–0, 6–3. After a slow start, Sinner dominated the second set and maintained momentum in the third. This victory extends his winning streak to 26 matches, dating back to October 2024. And the 23-year-old will face down Alcaraz, the last man to beat Sinner in the final at the China Open in October. “If I want to win Sunday, I have to play some of my best tennis for sure,” said Sinner. “Carlos has played incredible tennis today, so let’s see what’s coming, but from my side, it’s incredible to be here in the final.”
May 15: Sinner, like he never left
Tommy Paul advanced to his second consecutive Rome semifinal with a 7–6 (4), 6–3 victory over Hubert Hurkacz. The first set featured 6 breaks of serve, but Paul got into his stride in the tie-break to take the only mini-break. He then carried the momentum into the second set, securing the win in just under two hours. Paul became the first American since Pete Sampras over 30 years ago to reach back-to-back Rome semifinals. Off the court, he revealed that his truck was repossessed during the tournament: “I got my truck repossessed. I missed a couple payments and they took my truck from my house this week […] that’s my baby. Yeah, really grinding to get that back.”
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner delivered a near-perfect performance, defeating Casper Ruud 6–0, 6–1 in just 65 minutes to reach his first Rome semifinal. Sinner’s perfect baseline play left Ruud, the Madrid Open champion, with few answers: “He was everywhere. It was like playing against a wall that was sending balls back at me at over 100 km/h every time” said Ruud in the mixed zone. “I don’t think I’ve ever played against a player who was so close to perfection”. Sinner has now won 25 consecutive matches, being just the fifth man this century to record such a winning streak in a row, after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. The last loss of the Italian came to Alcaraz in the Beijing final last October, and since then, he won the title in Shanghai, the ATP Finals, recorded three wins at the Davis Cup Finals, the Australian Open title and four wins so far in the Italian capital.
Jasmine Paolini made a huge statement by becoming the first Italian woman in 11 years to reach the Rome final, defeating Peyton Stearns 7–5, 6–1. After trailing 1–4 in the first set, Paolini rallied with the support of the home crowd to win the first set with 62% of second return points won. Stearns felt down after leading 1-0 in the second set, losing 6 games in a row and the match. Coco Gauff also secured her spot in the Rome final with a hard-fought 7–6 (3), 4–6, 7–6 (4) victory over Qinwen Zheng in a match lasting 3 hours and 34 minutes and finishing late in the night. Gauff let a 5-3 lead slip away in the opener but capitalised on Zheng double faults to edge the first set, which featured 35 unforced errors from both players. The Olympic champion hit back with an early break in the second to force a decider and even serve for the match. Unfortunately, she failed to convert the important points and lost in the final tie-break.
May 14: defending champion and world No1 out
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jack Draper 6–4, 6–4 in 1 hour and 38 minutes to reach his first Rome semifinal. After trailing 2–4 in the first set, Alcaraz rallied to win 5 consecutive games to take the first set. He then saved 6 of 8 break points and converted 3 of 5 opportunities to close the match. Alcaraz has now reached 11th Masters 1000 semifinal, equaling his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero’s record, and propels him back to the world No. 2 ranking ahead of Roland Garros.
Lorenzo Musetti delighted the home crowd by defeating defending champion Alexander Zverev 7–6 (1), 6–4. Musetti saved 3 set points at 5–6 in the first set before dominating the tiebreak. He maintained momentum in the second set, breaking Zverev’s serve at 4-4 to secure the match. This victory marks Musetti’s first Rome semifinal appearance and sets up a clash with Alcaraz, who leads their head-to-head 4–1.
Coco Gauff defeated Mirra Andreeva 6–4, 7–6 (5), improving her head-to-head record to 4–0 against the Russian teenager while Qinwen Zheng caused the upset of the day by taking her first victory over Aryna Sabalenka in seven attempts, winning 6–4, 6–3 to advance to the semifinals.
May 13: the italians still shine
Hubert Hurkacz, who arrived in Rome with a 0-1 record on clay this season (he only played in Madrid), delivered one of his most controlled performances of the year by defeating teenage Czech talent Jakub Mensik 7–6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5). In this match between two players who have won the Miami Masters 1000 (in 2021 and 2025), the Pole was the only one to lose his serve, but he won anyway with 19 aces. “I’ve been trying to adjust to the dirt all season, and today everything clicked better. Patience was key,” explained Hurkacz post-match. Carlos Alcaraz needed grit and clarity of mind to outlast Karen Khachanov 6–3, 3–6, 7–5 in a grueling 2h30 battle. The 22-year-old Spaniard struggled with depth in the second set but raised his level in the third. Despite loosing his serve first, Alcaraz took advantage of his 41 winners and converted his 2 following break points of the decider to close it out. “These kinds of matches are important to keep me sharp mentally. Khachanov pushed me hard today,” Alcaraz said. With this win, Alcaraz becomes the youngest player to have reached the quarterfinals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 events.
In a contrasting clash of power versus unpredictability, Jack Draper overcame Corentin Moutet 1-6, 6-4, 6–3 to book a spot in the quarterfinals. Draper’s first-serve percentage dipped under pressure (63%), but his ability to control the baseline exchanges made the difference. It’s Draper’s 3rd Masters quarterfinal this year, after titles in Indian Wells and a final in Madrid. Moutet, meanwhile, produced 27 winners and 6 drop shot winners but couldn’t hold his final service game at 5-3 in the decider. The new World No 9 Lorenzo Musetti took out Daniil Medvedev 7–5, 6–4 in front of a raucous home crowd. Musetti converted his second opportunity in the second set and was extremely happy with the result: “Beating Daniil here, in Rome, is probably my best memory so far in tennis. I felt supported every single point.”
In the WTA draw, Jasmine Paolini thrilled Italian fans by defeating Diana Shnaider (1) 6–7, 6-4, 6-2. Paolini started strongly, leading 4-0 before being unable to hold her serve and losing the first set at tie-break. Shnaider took the momentum and also led 4-0… before losing 6 of her 7 service games and losing the last two sets. Paolini now reaches her second WTA 1000 semi-final of the season and will face Paytons Stearns. Peyton Stearns defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4) in a two-hour thriller. The American, currently ranked 42nd, took advantage of Svitolina’s difficulties on her first and second serves throughout the match (33% of second serves won in the first set, 38% in the second and 39% of first serves won in the deciding set for the Ukrainian).
May 12: quarterfinals in sight
In one of the most dramatic matches of the day, Tommy Paul overcame Czech Tomas Macháč 6–3, 6–7(5), 6–4. Paul served for the match before Macháč stormed back and forcing a third set. Paul finally steadied the ship with a break at 5-4 and finished with 30 winners and 7 aces, but his 37 unforced errors almost cost him the match. “He stepped up his level. I didn’t make too many first serves in that game… But, I mean, he played some awesome tennis.”
Italian No. 1 Jannik Sinner continued his seamless return from injury with a commanding 6–4, 6–2 win over Jesper de Jong. Sinner, who has yet to drop a set in Rome, played with controlled aggression, landing 63% of first serves and hitting just 16 unforced errors. Meanwhile, Casper Ruud progressed after local hope Matteo Berrettini retired at 7-5 2-0 while Hubert Hurkacz beat Marc Giron 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 with characteristic composure. The Pole served 12 aces, won 80% of his first service points and lost just one point behind his serve in the decisive set.
In front of a her Italian crowd, Jasmine Paolini defeated Stuttgart champion Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-2 to reach her second WTA 1000 quarterfinal this season. Paolini dominated with 72% of first serves and 83% break points saved. “The atmosphere was really, really, really great” she said post-match. “We really enjoy being in this era of the Italian tennis. We are like a team. Everybody is pushing each other”.
Aryna Sabalenka needed a strong finish to overcome Marta Kotsyuk 6-1, 7-6 (8). The Belarusian needed another tiebreak after their two decisive sets a week ago in the quarter-finals in Madrid. Including her titles at Miami and Madrid, the World No1 has won her last 15 matches at WTA 1000 events and also become the first player to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome in a single season since Carla Suarez Navarro in 2015. Coco Gauff beat Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-2 and Elina Svitolina, continuing her strong season, took out 6-4, 6-2.
May 11: French players through
Carlos Alcaraz continued his strong performance, defeating Lorenzo Sonego 6–4, 6–3. The Spaniard’s consistent play and strategic shot-making kept him in control throughout the match. French players Arthur Fils and Corentin Moutet advanced to the next round with solid performances.
In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka battled through a three-set match against Sofia Kenin, ultimately prevailing 3–6, 6–3, 6–3. Conversely, Elena Rybakina faced a setback, losing to Bianca Andreescu 6–2, 6–4. Andreescu’s aggressive baseline play and effective service games disrupted Rybakina’s rhythm, leading to the upset.
May 10: unexpected outcomes
Andrey Rublev, seeded 16th, was ousted by Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in a three-set battle, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3. Marozsan’s consistent play and strategic shot-making disrupted Rublev’s rhythm, leading to a significant upset. Since winning the title in Doha, he has won just 3 times in 10 matches. Casper Ruud continued his impressive form, defeating Alexander Bublik 6–4, 4–6, 6–3, while Ben Shelton’s struggles persisted as he suffered a straight-sets defeat to Jaume Munar, 6–2, 6–1. Jannik Sinner made a triumphant return, overcoming Mariano Navone 6–3, 6–4. The world No. 1 displayed confidence and control, marking a successful comeback to the tour.
On the women’s side, defending champion Iga Swiatek was eliminated by Danielle Collins in straight sets, 6–1, 7–5. Swiatek’s early exit marks a significant shift as she will drop to 4th place in the ranking for the first time since 2022. Jessica Pegula also faced a surprising defeat at the hands of Elise Mertens, 7–5, 6–1, was Mertens’ first victory win over a top-10 opponent in nearly two years. Madison Keys was defeated too, falling to Peyton Stearns (6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (3)).
May 9: Passaro’s comes through
Francesco Passaro delivered a stunning performance, defeating 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov 7–5, 6–3. The Italian wildcard capitalized on his home advantage to secure a memorable victory, while Carlos Alcaraz made a strong return from injury, overcoming Dusan Lajovic 6–3, 6–3.
In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Anastasia Potapova in straight sets 6–2, 6–2. Magda Linette showcased remarkable resilience, coming back from a set and a break down to defeat Maria Sakkari 1–6, 6–4, 6–1. This victory marks a significant turnaround, especially after her previous loss to Sakkari in Madrid.
May 7-8: tournament kicks-off
On Mai 7th, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard faced Jordan Thompson once again, hoping to break a losing streak. Despite a strong start, Perricard fell 3–6, 6–3, 7–6(5), marking his fourth consecutive loss to Thompson. João Fonseca unfortunately exited in the first round after a tight match against Fabian Marozsan. American teenager Learner Tien secured a significant win over Reilly Opelka, 6–4, 7–6(11).
In WTA, defending champion Iga Swiatek began her campaign with a commanding 6–1, 6–0 victory over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, completing the match in just 52 minutes. Jelena Ostapenko faced a tough challenge from Rebecca Šramková but managed to advance with a 6–4, 3–6, 7–5 win. Italy’s Jasmine Paolini delighted local fans with a straight-sets victory, while Americans Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys both secured wins in their opening matches.
