Tennis

Iga Swiatek's dominance continues to soar as she captures her fourth WTA 1000 title of the year in Rome, propelling her to a record-breaking ranking points total of 11,695. This achievement surpasses her previous high of 11,085 and marks the highest ranking points for any woman in nearly nine years, since Serena Williams in 2015.Swiatek's victory in Rome not only extends her winning streak to 28 matches but also solidifies her position as the world's top-ranked player. Her impressive performance has earned her a guaranteed Top 4 seed at the upcoming Roland Garros, where she will defend her title.Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev's triumph in Rome has elevated him to the No. 4 spot in the ATP rankings, ensuring him a Top 4 seed at Roland Garros. Nicolas Jarry's remarkable run to the final has propelled him to a career-high ranking of No. 16, making him the sixth-highest-ranked Chilean in ATP history.Other notable ranking moves include Alejandro Tabilo's Top 30 debut after reaching the semifinals in Rome, stunning Novak Djokovic in the process. French teenager Arthur Fils also makes his Top 30 debut, while Luciano Darderi and Diana Shnaider break into the ATP and WTA Top 50, respectively.The breakthroughs continue with four Top 100 debuts this week. Shang Juncheng becomes the first Chinese teenager to reach the ATP Top 100, while Moyuka Uchijima and Rebecca Sramkova make their WTA Top 100 debuts.Swiatek's continued dominance and the impressive performances of Zverev, Jarry, and others set the stage for an exciting Roland Garros tournament, where the world's best players will battle for the coveted Grand Slam title.

Alexander Zverev has once again emerged victorious at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, capturing his second title in Rome. The German star defeated Nicolas Jarry in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, to claim his sixth Masters 1000 title.Jarry, playing in his first Masters 1000 final, put up a valiant effort but was ultimately outmatched by Zverev's consistency and power. The Chilean had made history by becoming the first Chilean to reach a Masters 1000 final since Fernando Gonzalez in 2007.Zverev, however, proved too formidable, showcasing the form that has seen him rise to the top of the ATP rankings. His victory in Rome adds to his previous Masters 1000 triumphs in Rome and Canada in 2017, Madrid in 2018, and Madrid and Cincinnati in 2021.With this latest title, Zverev joins Daniil Medvedev in ninth place on the all-time list of Masters 1000 title winners since 1990. The German now has 22 ATP titles to his name, solidifying his status as one of the most successful players on the tour.Zverev's victory in Rome has significant implications for the upcoming Roland Garros tournament. He will rise from No. 5 to No. 4 in the ATP rankings, passing Medvedev. This move could prove crucial for Zverev, as the No. 4 seed will avoid facing any of the Top 3 seeds until at least the semifinals in Paris.

The ATP tour has been a rollercoaster of injuries and upsets in the lead-up to the French Open, with the men's top 5 all facing setbacks. Alexander Zverev, the only top player to avoid injury, reached the Rome semifinals after a scare in his quarterfinal.Meanwhile, the WTA tour has seen a resurgence of star power, with Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka leading the charge. Swiatek and Sabalenka will face off in the Rome semifinals, while Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins will battle in the other semifinal.The shift in momentum between the tours is puzzling, as the ATP has traditionally been more predictable. However, the expansion of the Madrid and Rome tournaments to nearly two weeks may have contributed to the increased injuries and upsets.Despite the setbacks, the men's top players are expected to be healthy for the French Open. Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner, and Medvedev will all be aiming to challenge Nadal for the title.On the women's side, Swiatek and Sabalenka are the clear favorites in Rome and will likely be the ones to watch in Paris. Swiatek has a 9-1 record against Gauff, while Sabalenka has a 5-0 record against Collins.The Rome semifinals will provide a glimpse of the potential matchups in the French Open final. Swiatek and Sabalenka have both been in impressive form, and their clash will be a battle between the world's top two players. Collins, in her final season, will be determined to make a statement against Sabalenka, while Gauff will be looking to prove herself against Swiatek on clay.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No. 6 seed in Rome and No. 8 on tour, has set his sights on becoming the world's top-ranked tennis player. After a strong start to the season, including victories in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, Tsitsipas believes he has the potential to dethrone the current No. 1, Novak Djokovic.Tsitsipas's confidence stems from his recent performances, particularly his dominant display against Alex de Minaur in Rome. He believes that his heavy and deep ball control has given him an edge over his opponents."I really felt that my opponent felt the heaviness and the depth of my ball," Tsitsipas said. "It gave me courage, it gave me great belief in myself that I can continue pushing in that sense."Tsitsipas's resurgence comes after a difficult period in 2023, when a back injury forced him to drop out of the Top 10. However, he has since recovered and is now back in contention for the top spot."I was outside the Top 10 for a while," he said. "It hurt me a little bit. So being back, it's a great feeling."Tsitsipas has also made some adjustments to his game, including abandoning his recent experiment with a modified service stance. He believes that his old "platform" stance gives him more confidence and allows him to open up the court more easily."Once you start thinking a lot, it's an issue because you can't concentrate on what's happening in front of you," he said. "Your mind travels in different directions and places. . . I did something strange, which I've never done before in a match. I was trying different things during the match, which is definitely something I don't recommend to anyone doing."With the upcoming French Open just around the corner, Tsitsipas is aware that he has a chance to make history. Rafael Nadal, the 14-time Roland Garros champion, is struggling with injuries, while Djokovic has been in poor form this year."I never saw a reason not to follow my dreams to that depth," Tsitsipas said. "It would be a blessing if I was able to conquer and make that happen. It's been my dream since the first day of pursuing professional tennis."

Daniil Medvedev, the defending champion, survived a stern test from rising star Hamad Medjedovic to reach the fourth round of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. The 20-year-old Serb pushed Medvedev to the limit, but the Russian's experience ultimately prevailed in a thrilling three-set battle.Medvedev started strongly, breaking Medjedovic early and taking a 4-2 lead. However, the young Serb fought back, breaking Medvedev twice to force a tiebreaker. Medvedev regained his composure to clinch the first set, but Medjedovic continued to impress in the second, breaking Medvedev twice more to level the match.The third set was a rollercoaster of emotions. Medvedev surged ahead to a 4-1 lead, but Medjedovic rallied back to level the set at 4-4. The crowd erupted in cheers as the match reached its climax. Medvedev, drawing on his vast experience, broke Medjedovic one last time to secure a hard-fought victory in just under three hours."I was not playing the way I wanted to," Medvedev admitted after the match. "I never found the rhythm I wanted in any shot. But the most important is to win; it's always better to win, 6-0, 6-0, but we don't see it this often on ATP tour. Happy with the win, tomorrow is a new day when I try to improve what didn't work today."Medvedev's victory sets up a quarterfinal clash with No. 14 seed Tommy Paul, who defeated Dominik Koepfer in straight sets. Paul nearly beat Medvedev on slow conditions at the BNP Paribas Open in March, but the former world No. 1 rallied to win in three."I'll just need to reset," Medvedev said. "I won the match, so I'll do some physio work and go to sleep, try to play better tomorrow."

The Internazionali BNL d'Italia witnessed a mixed bag of results for American tennis hopefuls on Sunday. While Danielle Collins and Taylor Fritz emerged victorious, Ben Shelton and Sofia Kenin faced setbacks.Collins continued her impressive form, dispatching Caroline Garcia in straight sets (6-3, 6-3). The 13th seed capitalized on five of six break points, extending her winning streak against the Frenchwoman to 10-0 in sets. Collins will now face Irina-Camelia Begu in the round of 16, aiming for her first WTA 1000 clay-court quarterfinal.Fritz also secured a comfortable victory, defeating compatriot Sebastian Korda (6-3, 6-4). The No. 11 seed has now won nine of 11 matches on red dirt this season. He will next face Grigor Dimitrov, who overcame Terence Atmane in straight sets.However, Shelton's run in Rome came to an end as he was defeated by Zhang Zhizhen (6-2, 6-4). The Chinese No. 1 advanced to the fourth round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the third time. He will now face Thiago Monteiro in the round of 16.Kenin, who had upset Ons Jabeur in the previous round, was unable to maintain her momentum. She was edged out by qualifier Rebecca Sramkova in a three-set battle (6-4, 4-6, 6-4).

Novak Djokovic's reign at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia came to an abrupt end on Sunday as he suffered a stunning 6-2, 6-3 defeat to Alejandro Tabilo in the third round. The world No. 1, who was playing his first match since sustaining a bizarre head injury on Friday, was outplayed by the No. 29 seed in just over an hour.Djokovic's participation in the tournament was initially in doubt after he was hit by a falling water bottle while signing autographs. However, he appeared to have recovered from the incident and even practiced on Saturday wearing a bicycle helmet.But against Tabilo, Djokovic looked a step slow and struggled to keep up with the Chilean's aggressive play. Tabilo, who is ranked No. 32 in the world, broke Djokovic's serve twice in the first set and never looked back.The second set followed a similar pattern, with Tabilo breaking Djokovic's serve early and holding on to his advantage. Djokovic had a chance to break back in the sixth game, but Tabilo responded with some strong serving and forehands to hold on.Djokovic saved two match points in the eighth game, but Tabilo eventually sealed the victory with a forehand winner. The crowd at the Campo Centrale sat in stunned silence as Djokovic's 11-match winning streak at the tournament came to an end.For Tabilo, it was the biggest win of his career and his first victory over a Top 5 player. The Chilean will now face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals.Djokovic's defeat raises questions about his form and fitness ahead of the French Open, which begins on May 22. The Serbian has not won a Grand Slam title since Wimbledon in 2021 and has struggled with injuries and poor form in recent months.

Andrey Rublev's recent victory at the Madrid Open marked a significant turning point in his career, as he overcame a string of losses and physical ailments to claim his second ATP Masters 1000 title. However, the Russian star acknowledges that maintaining the mental composure necessary to consistently perform at his best remains a work in progress.In an interview on the Tennis Insider Club podcast, Rublev discussed the challenges of managing his emotions on the court. He explained that his aggressive playing style requires intense focus and energy, which can be difficult to sustain when he feels mentally drained."When I feel like today is not my day, then I'm getting too tight and I start to push the ball," Rublev said. "There is no middle. I start to play too passive sometimes without hitting at all."Rublev's struggles with emotional regulation have been evident in his recent performances. After his Madrid triumph, he lost four of his next five matches, including a disappointing first-round exit in Barcelona. However, he believes that his mental fortitude is not the primary obstacle to his success."I wouldn't say mental (is my biggest challenge) but to put emotions in the right way," Rublev explained. "Because the mental part? I would say I don't give up, I try to fight, it doesn't matter who I play."Rublev's determination was on full display in Madrid, where he battled through physical discomfort and illness to reach the final. He credits the support of the medical staff in Madrid for helping him overcome these challenges."I'm grateful to the doctors in Madrid," Rublev said. "They helped me a lot. I had a problem with my toe, and then I had a problem with my throat. They helped me to recover and to play."As Rublev prepares for the upcoming Internazionali BNL d'Italia, he remains focused on finding the right balance between his emotions and his performance. He believes that harnessing his emotions in a positive way will allow him to reach even greater heights in the sport."Those little moments when I was putting them in the right direction, it was amazing," Rublev said. "You feel like you're just playing amazing and everything is working."

Andrey Rublev's triumph at the Mutua Madrid Open was a testament to his resilience and determination. Despite battling illness and injury, the Russian emerged victorious, capturing his second ATP Masters 1000 title.Rublev's journey to the title was far from easy. He entered the tournament on a four-match losing streak and soon began experiencing symptoms of illness. A persistent throat infection left him struggling to swallow, forcing him to subsist on baby food. A headache, fever, and insomnia further compounded his misery.Adding to his physical ailments, Rublev's left toe became severely swollen, making it difficult to wear shoes. The pain was so intense that he required anesthesia to numb the area.Despite these setbacks, Rublev refused to give up. He fought through the discomfort and illness, determined to prove his worth. His unwavering spirit was evident in his performances on the court.In the final, Rublev faced a formidable opponent in Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian had been in impressive form, but Rublev's resilience and determination proved too much to overcome. After dropping the first set, Rublev rallied back to win the next two, securing the title with a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory.Rublev's triumph was a testament to his mental and physical toughness. He overcame adversity and defied the odds to achieve a remarkable victory. His performance in Madrid was a reminder that even when faced with challenges, anything is possible with determination and perseverance.