ATP TOUR RANKING | AFTER ITALIAN OPEN 2026

 

ROME 2026 | SEMI-FINALS

MARTIN ANDALUCE VS. DANIIL MEDVEDEV | ROME 2026

 

SORANA CIRSTEA VS. COCO GAUFF | ROME 2026

 

JANNIK SINNER MAKES HISTORY VS. ANDREY RUBLEV | ROME 2026

 

CASPER RUUD VS. KAREN KHACHANOV

 

ELINA SVITOLINA VS. ELENA RYBAKINA | ROME 2026

 

JANNIK SINNER VS. ANDREA

 

ITALIAN OPEN: SINNER EQUALS DJOKOVIC WITH 31ST STRAIGHT MASTERS 1000 MATCH VICTORY

 

Italy's Jannik Sinner hits a shot against his compatriot Andrea Pellegrino in a men's singles round of 16 match at the Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 12, 2026. /VCG

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner continued his dominant run at the Italian Open on Tuesday, defeating fellow home hope Andrea Pellegrino in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals and equal Novak Djokovic's record of 31 consecutive wins in Masters 1000 matches.

Sinner has now gone unbeaten in Masters 1000 events since retiring with cramps during a match against Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai last October. Djokovic previously set the mark during his remarkable 2011 season.

"If you want to be a great player, you've got to play on all the surfaces and all the tournaments at your maximum," Sinner said. "It's the mind that makes the difference."

Backed by a capacity crowd at Campo Centrale in Foro Italico, with many fans dressed in Sinner's signature color orange, the top seed wasted little time asserting control. He broke his opponent's serve in the opening game and never let Pellegrino back into the contest, improving to 19-0 against Italian compatriots.

The victory also extended Sinner's overall winning streak to 26 matches. The 23-year-old has not lost since falling to Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open on February 19.

Sinner is now chasing more history in Rome. If he lifts the Italian Open trophy this week, he will become only the second man after Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments.

The 24-year-old has already claimed five consecutive Masters titles, and with Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by a right wrist injury, Sinner has emerged as the clear favorite both in Rome and heading into the French Open.

"It's time to take the title away from Adriano," read one fan's sign at Foro Italico, referencing Adriano Panatta, the last Italian man to win the singles crown in the nation's capital 50 years ago.

Panatta is scheduled to present the trophy following Sunday's final.

Sinner's next challenge will come against 12th-seeded Andrey Rublev, who rallied past Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 to book his place in the last eight.

- CGTN

JACK DRAPER GIVES BRUTALLY HONEST VERDICT ON ITALIAN OPEN WIN OVER CORENTIN MOUTET AS BRIT OVERCOMES WOEFUL START TO ADVANCE TO CARLOS ALCARAZ CLASH: 'I WAS BAMBOOZLED'

• Jack Draper beat Corentin Moutet to reach the quarter-finals of the Italian Open

• The 23-year-old lost the first set 1-6 and admitted he was 'bamboozled' at first

Jack Draper admitted he was totally bamboozled by the maverick stylings of Corentin Moutet, but the world No5 did what top players do: he found a way to win, and will face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open.

Moutet is one of the game’s great eccentrics, and he swept through the opening set with a cocktail of drop shots, lobs and serve-volley raids.

‘I was bamboozled at the start to be honest,’ Draper told Sky Sports’ Gigi Salmon after his 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory. ‘I haven’t played someone like that in…well, ever. I just felt like I was on a string, like I didn’t know what I was doing.

‘I came out in the second set, just fought for every point and found my way in the end.’

It is a cliche to describe a game-style such as Moutet’s as ‘dizzying’ - but in this instance that is literally the case.

‘I was looking at the slide marks on the clay after one game, and I was literally covering the whole court with drop and…I don’t know what was going on my brain was…I’ve got dizziness from it.

The world No5 beat Moutet and will face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open

The world No5 beat Moutet and will face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open

'I don’t know what was going on my brain was... I’ve got dizziness from it,' Jack Draper said

‘To come through that one was amazing.’

Draper looked shattered at the end, as he has to a degree all fortnight, coming in straight after his run to the Madrid Open final. It feels more like mental than physical weariness; the weariness that comes with day after day of the rinse and repeat of train, warmup, match, warmdown.

After that first set, how easy it would have been to fade away - many players would have done so. Draper badly wants a rest but he wants the win even more.

Before the match, Sky Sports did a montage, set to a Benny Hill-type soundtrack, of Moutet’s wildest moments: demanding coffee from the umpire, snapping his racket over his knee, having to rush to his bag because his phone was going off.

There were no antics in the first set, though: just varied and highly effective tennis.

It was at 3-3 in the second set when the only moment of controversy occurred - and it was VAR related.

Moutet hit a drop shot which Draper ran down. Moutet netted his next shot and used the video review system to check whether his drop shot had bounced twice before Draper made contact.

Umpire Nico Helwerth watched the replays, broadcast on the big screen, with Moutet jabbering away at him as he tried to make his decision. 

‘I was bamboozled at the start to be honest,’ he said after his 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory on Tuesday

Moutet swept through the opening set with a cocktail of drop shots, lobs and serve-volley raids

Draper mainly watched in silence, leaning on the net. He mildly remarked: ‘I think I got it up.’

He clearly did, and umpire Nico Helwerth agreed.

The decision had been made but Moutet demanded a replay of one of the angles and Helwerth foolishly granted his wish.

‘Zoom, zoom, zoom,’ cried moutet as the replay came up, like an excitable film director, but the decision stood.

Would Draper’s focus be affected by the row? He was not, and in fact the incident served to interrupt the flow of Moutet’s freeform jazz.

In the next game Moutet hit two double faults as Draper broke for 5-3. The Brit gave a huge bellow; Moutet tossed his racket into the backboard.

But in the next game Draper made a mess of a drop shot and then double faulted to go 0-40 down. He conceded the break with a truly horrific attempt at a double-handed backhand drop shot.

He came again though and broke for the set, cupping an ear to the supertennis arena crowd.

Draper beat Czech player Vít Kopřiva 6-4 6-3 in Rome to reach the last 16 against Moutet

Draper was narrowly beaten 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 by Casper Ruud in the final of the Madrid Open

Moutet then took a five minute and 30 second toilet break before a final set which promised much.

The next drop of drama came at 3-3 when Moutet began to cramp, calling for the trainer to massage his left hamstring. It was no great surprise, given he came in off a three-hour, 44-minute win against Casper Ruud.

Draper went into lockdown mode in the next game and broke with a forehand ripped up the line.

As he did in the second set, Draper wobbled when serving it out, but from 15-30 down he played four rock-solid points to take the match.

At 23-years-old, he is the youngest British man in the Open Era to reach the last eight in Rome and one more victory will see him overtake Taylor Fritz as the world No4.

That win will not come easily, of course, against Alcaraz. This will be their third meeting of the year: Draper retired after one set of their fourth-round at the Australian Open, then won in the Indian Wells semis en route to the title.

Draper has beaten Alcaraz on grass in Stuttgart and hard courts in California. Can he now beat him on clay? That is the tallest order of the lot, but if we have learned anything from this match - and this season - it is to never count Draper out.

- MATTHEW LAMBWELL

GAUFF SAYS TWEAKED SERVE NEEDS TIME TO TAKE OFF

Reuters 

 American Coco Gauff has accumulated 35 double faults in three matches at the Italian Open, but the world number three said the technical changes to her serve only need time to settle.

A potent serve can be a powerful weapon in tennis, but U.S. Open champion Gauff has struggled with her delivery in the clay swing, averaging almost 10 double faults in the five matches that she played on the slower surface ahead of Rome.

Gauff sent down 11 more in Monday's 5-7 6-4 6-1 win over Paula Badosa, but the 20-year-old said after making the quarter-finals that she was already seeing some improvements ahead of the French Open which starts on May 26.

"I'm going big on the first serve, so I know I'm probably going to miss more. It's just finding the balance of going big but also knowing when to slow down just to get the serve in," Gauff, the 2022 Roland Garros runner-up, told reporters.

"I bet on myself to continue to go big. I know when I go big and my serve goes in it's dangerous. Even though this tournament I want to win, I'm trying to think long-term. I don't want to lose the 120 (mph) serve by not going for it."

World number two Aryna Sabalenka famously struggled with her serve over the last few years before a stint with a biomechanics trainer turned her weakness into a weapon, which she deployed to great effect en route to winning two Australian Opens titles.

Gauff, who is coached by Brad Gilbert and Jean-Christophe Faurel, said she was also trying to make technical tweaks.

"It's tough to do in-season and in-tournament," she said.

"I feel from the night before my last match to now, it's better. It's only been two days. I'm trying."

HOLGIER RUNE BEATS NOVAK DJOKOVIC TO REACH THE ITALIAN OPEN SEMI FINALS

Associated Press

May 17, 2023, 08:28 PM

ROME -- Novak Djokovic sees a bit of himself in Holger Rune.

The 20-year-old Danish player is solid in nearly every area: A great mover and super fit physically, he's strong off both his forehand and backhand, has good hands and is an aggressive returner.

Perhaps that's why Rune has now recorded two victories over Djokovic in little more than six months, beating the 22-time Grand Slam champion 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 Wednesday to reach the Italian Open semifinals.

Rune, who also defeated Djokovic in the Paris Masters final in November, gave him fits with rapid court coverage. Rune made his opponent hit extra balls on points that Djokovic thought he had already finished off.

Djokovic said the consistently damp conditions at the Foro Italico this week were challenging for him.

"In these kind of conditions, it's very difficult to get the ball past him," Djokovic said. "He's very, very fast, very quick. Great anticipation. Just a very talented, dynamic player, all-around player.

"He was just better. He played too good for me for most part of the match," Djokovic said. "He kept his nerves and deserved to win."

Unlike the win in Paris, which was a breakthrough moment for Rune, this one felt like a confirmation.

"If it's working against Novak, it works against almost anybody," Rune said of his performance.

The 35-year-old Djokovic didn't appear at his best physically early on and called for a trainer after holding for a 2-1 lead in the second set. It wasn't immediately clear what the issue was, but it appeared that Djokovic swallowed a pill that the trainer gave him.

Djokovic recently returned after three weeks off because of a lingering issue with his surgically repaired right elbow. He's preparing for the French Open, which starts in 11 days.

"I know I can always play better," Djokovic said. "I always like my chances in Grand Slams against anybody on any surface, best-of-five."

Rune, meanwhile, is boosting his credentials as a Grand Slam contender after a solid season on clay that included a runner-up finish in the Monte Carlo Masters, a title in Munich, and now a semifinal spot in his first main draw appearance in Rome.

"I want to win a Grand Slam this year," Rune said. "I hope it can be achieved at the French Open. If not, I hope to make it in the other two Grand Slams."

Djokovic stormed out to a 5-2 lead in the second, but Rune rallied back, winning a 34-shot rally with a sublime backhand drop-shot winner to set up a late break.

Rune also called for a trainer late in the second set to have his right leg treated. The match was then suspended because of rain with Rune serving to stay in the set at 4-5, 0-30.

After a suspension of more than an hour, Djokovic won two straight points to break Rune's serve and take the second set. But Rune then broke Djokovic's serve twice early in the third.

Djokovic committed 35 unforced errors to Rune's 15, with 22 of those coming on his forehand.

Djokovic has won the Italian Open six times, including last year, and failed to reach the final only once in eight previous editions -- when he was beaten by Rafael Nadal in the semifinals in 2018.

Nadal, who holds the record of 10 titles in Rome, is not playing as he remains hampered by a nagging hip injury, leaving his status for Roland Garros in question.

With Djokovic eliminated, an 18-year streak of either him or Nadal playing in the Rome final ends.

Djokovic will also lose the No. 1 ranking to Carlos Alcaraz, another 20-year-old player, next week -- even though Alcaraz was beaten by 135th-ranked Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan in the third round Monday.

Rune's semifinal opponent will be Casper Ruud, who beat Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (5), 6-4.

In the women's tournament, Jelena Ostapenko beat Paula Badosa 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to reach her first semifinal on clay since winning the 2017 French Open. Ostapenko was then going back out on court to play in the doubles quarterfinals with partner Lyudmyla Kichenok.

In another quarterfinal, two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek retired in the third set of her match against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina due to a right thigh injury. Rybakina advanced as a result of the 2-6, 7-6 (3), 2-2 finish.

Rune got into a heated exchange with the chair umpire about a disputed call during the second set. When the umpire refused to change the call despite Rune saying that the mark on the clay showed that Djokovic's shot was out, he lost his cool.

"Do you get punished when you make mistakes? You don't. So please respect the player," Rune said to the umpire, Mohamed Lahyani. "It's an absolute joke."

As Rune's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, motioned from the stands for his player to calm down, Rune then said to nobody in particular, "It's always the umpire who makes me look like the bad guy."

Afterward, when Rune was asked about the dispute, he said: "Apparently I was right because I saw the Hawk-Eye after the match and it was out."

He also took issue when he was asked about his reputation as the game's "bad boy."

"I don't see myself as the bad boy at all," he said. "I play with a lot of passion and energy when I'm on the court. ... I don't know why that should be a bad boy thing, to play with energy on the court. A bad boy thing is to break rackets and stuff like this. If I remember well, I don't break a racket when I play."

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