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The Italian Open is the final ATP and WTA 1000 event before the 2025 French Open and it is usually a key indicator of what to expect at the clay-court Grand Slam at Roland Garros.

The joint-ATP-WTA event will once again be staged at Foro Italico in Rome in what will be the 82nd edition of the tournament in the Italian capital. The men’s and women’s tournaments were held separately before it became a combined event in 2011.

When does the 2025 Italian Open take place?

The women’s tournament will start on Tuesday, May 6 while the men’s competition gets underway a day later on May 7.

For the women, this is the second and final WTA 1000 event on clay after the Madrid Open while for the men it’s their third Masters 1000 event on the red dirt with the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open preceding the Italian tournament on the ATP Tour calendar.

Please tell us more about the draw…

The draw for both the ATP and WTA events is set for Monday, May 5 with the ceremony set to kick off at 11:00 local time.

Both tournaments are 96-player singles draw events and the cut-off for direct entries via the respective rankings was 71 on the women’s side and 78 on the men’s side.

Five players have been handed wildcards for the ATP tournament and eight for the WTA event. Twelve players (both ATP and WTA) will earn entry into the main draw via qualifiers while a few have entered via their protected rankings.

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Who are IN and who are OUT at the 2025 Italian Open?

The biggest news ahead of the tournament is the return of world No 1 Jannik Sinner as it will be his first event back following his three-month suspension.

This will also be his first competitive event since he defeated Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final on January 26.

For now, Carlos Alcaraz is also IN, but there are still doubts over the Spaniard’s fitness as he recently missed the Madrid Open due to a leg injury.

World No 6 Novak Djokovic is OUT as he has opted to skip the tournament in order to focus on the French Open.

On the WTA side, reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova is the biggest casualty as the world No 16 remains sidelined with a back injury.

The top 32 players in the current WTA Rankings have all entered while Grand Slam winners Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka’s positions in the rankings were good enough for direct entries.

Rising star Alex Eala just missed the cut-off as she is outside the top 70 in the WTA Rankings, but she is second on the alternate list after Caroline Dolehide.

American Dolehide has already been moved into the main draw after Krejcikova’s withdrawal so Eala is next on the list and should feature at the WTA 1000 event.

Who are the seeded players for the 2025 event?

The top 32 players in the world will be seeded for the event, but there is a difference in the systems being used by the ATP and WTA.

The ATP seedings will be based on the ATP Rankings from May 5 while the WTA seeds are based on April 21’s rankings, which means Coco Gauff will be seeded fourth even if she wins the Madrid Open.

Top 10 seeds for WTA event:

Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini, Mirra Andreeva, Zheng Qinwen, Paola Badosa and Emma Navarro.

Top 10 seeds for ATP event (based on Live Rankings):

Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev.

What happened at the 2024 edition of the Italian Open?

Iga Swiatek won the second leg of her clay-court hat-trick as she followed up her Madrid Open title with the Italian Open crown before going on to win the 2024 French Open. She beat Aryna Sabalenka in the final to claim her third trophy in Rome.

In the men’s draw, Alexander Zverev won his second Italian Open title as he beat surprise finalist Nicolas Jarry in the final.

Defending champion Daniil Medvedev and six-time winner and top seed Novak Djokovic both lost early while Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz missed the tournament due to injury.

The post 2025 Italian Open: Will Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Emma Raducanu, Alex Eala play? Draw dates, top seeds… appeared first on Tennis365.

A well-known tennis journalist as launched a passionate defence of Iga Swiatek as well as Novak Djokovic following their Madrid Open exits as he revealed that “both are going through a complicated period”.

Swiatek endured a difficult title defence at the WTA 1000 tournament as she needed three sets to beat teenager Alex Eala in the second round, also went the distance against Daria Schnaider in the last 16 and was bagelled by Madison Keys in the opening set of their quarter-final before bouncing back to win three sets.

She was then humbled by world No 4 Coco Gauff in the semi-final as she suffered an extraordinary collapse as the American won 6-1, 6-1 in what was one of the five-time Grand Slam winner’s worst defeats.

“I couldn’t really get my level up,” Swiatek admitted after the match. “Coco played good, but, yeah, I think it’s, you know, on me that I didn’t really move well, I wasn’t ready to play back the shots with heaviness, and, yeah, with that kind of game like, yeah, it was pretty bad. ”

Djokovic, meanwhile, crashed out in the second round as he was beaten in straight sets by the unseeded Matteo Arnaldi with the defeat coming just a fortnight after he also lost early at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Journalist Benoit Maylin was the first to confirm that both tennis stars are dealing with incredibly difficult life issues away from the court as he wrote on social media platform X: “Before burying Djokovic and Swiatek after Novak’s strange behavior and Iga’s apparent nervousness, it should be noted that both are going through a complicated period.

“Several of Djoko’s close friends have health problems, and Iga lost his grandfather just before the tournament.”

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Fellow journalist Michał Chojecki has revealed that Swiatek’s communications manager Daria Sulgostowska has confirmed that the world No 2 flew to Poland after her elimination from the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart on April 19 to attend the funeral.

She then travelled back to Madrid to prepare for the WTA 1000 event.

“I asked Iga Swietek’s team if the information given by this journalist about the death of Iga’s grandfather is true. Daria Sulgostowska confirms. Iga was at the funeral before the tournament,” Chojecki wrote.

Swiatek’s next tournament is her title defence at the Italian Open while Djokovic has decided to withdraw from the ATP Masters 1000 event with his next tournament the French Open.

There have been reports that Swiatek will take an extended break after Roland Garros and skip the grass-court season, including Wimbledon, following a difficult couple of months, but the Pole is yet to confirm her plans after the clay-court campaign.

The post Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic going through ‘complicated period’ with heartbreaking news about Pole ‘true’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Jack Draper’s stunning run of form in 2025 continued as he turned in another powerful performance to seal his place in the Madrid Open final.

The British No 1 beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6[4] in a high-quality contest to book a place against Norway’s Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final, where he bids for a second Masters title in two months after his win in Indian Wells in March.

This would also be Draper’s first clay court title, with the young Brit leaping up to to No 2 in the ATP Race, which charts form over the course of the calendar year.

The win against Musetti saw Draper rise above Alexander Zverev in the ATP Race, with only Carlos Alcaraz now ahead of him in a ranking that will determine the eight players who will qualify for the prestigious ATP Finals in November.

Draper’s appearance in the Madrid final will also cement his place at No 5 in the official ATP Rankings when they are updated on Monday.

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Once again, the 23-year-old was hugely impressive as he overcame Musetti, with his power-packed game blowing his rival away in the first set.

He then had to dig deep to come through the second set tie-break when Musetti was threatening, with Draper relieved to get over the line.

“I felt I went a bit passive in moments and at this level against that calibre of opponent, he is not going to let you off the hook,” Draper told Sky Sports Tennis.

“I think I did a great job changing tactically – serve-volleying and being a bit more on the front foot.

“In these moments now, I am thinking about all the pain I go through on a daily basis on the practice court, in strength and conditioning, all the sacrifices. I try and remember why I do it.

“It’s points like those where I have to push myself a bit more and be the braver person.”

Looking ahead to the final against Ruud, he added: “Ruud is a two-time French Open finalist and very accustomed to the clay. A big pro, always gives his best so that will be real, real challenge, but I am ready after beating someone like Lorenzo [Musetti]. I feel confident to give it my all and physically I feel good.

“I came through some five-setters at the Australian Open earlier in the year when not at my best and that has stayed in my memory.”

Draper’s optimism was contrasted by concern for Ruud, who admitted he was struggling with an injury as he beat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-5.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to finish the match, honestly. I felt something in my rib during the warm-up, just towards the end before going out (on court),” Ruud said.

“I felt it in nearly every shot, especially the serve. Luckily, I got some quick treatment on it. There’s not too much you can do, you only have three minutes (with the physio). So I will go and check it out more now.

“Hopefully it’s nothing too bad, it was quite sharp,. Not an ideal start, but I managed to keep it together and play some really good tennis when I had to.”

Draper will move to just 25 points behind world No 4 Taylor Fritz in the ATP Rankings if he beat Ruud in the final.

With Draper having no ranking points to defend at next week’s Rome Masters and Fritz defending 200 points from his run to the quarter-finals in that tournament last year, it now seems likely that the young Brit will be in the top four of the ATP Rankings heading into the French Open at Roland Garros later this month.

READ NEXT: Jack Draper joins Rafael Nadal in remarkable statistic after reaching Madrid last 4

The post Jack Draper up to No 2 in key ATP ranking after booking his spot in the Madrid Open final appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has been back on the practice court after of what would be a surprise appearance at the Rome Masters and his speedy return could have a huge impact on the French Open.

Alcaraz looked set to miss the final ATP Masters 1000 clay court event ahead of the French Open after he pulled out of this week’s tournament in Madrid due to injury.

The world No 3 picked up the injury in the Barcelona Open final against Holger Rune last month, with the decision to pull out of the Madrid Masters coming after a scan a few days later.

Despite his disappointment at missing out on a Masters tournament on home soil, Alcaraz posted an upbeat assessment of his hopes of defending his French Open title in Roland Garros later this month.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself, I don’t want to take anything for granted, but I think we’ll be confident for Roland Garros and we’re going to try to be in Rome,” said Alcaraz.

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“I also noticed an issue in my left leg when I had tests on Tuesday. I’ve been waiting, talking with my team, with the doctors, to see if I’d be able to play in good condition and without a job here in Madrid. I’ve done everything possible, everything in my power to make that happen, but things haven’t improved.

“I’m not really worried about it,” he said. “I believe it’s going to take one week, one week and a half, two weeks maximum, but I won’t have doubts about coming back and moving 100% again.”

Video footage of Alcaraz practising with his coaching team in Spain suggest he is weighing up the prospect of playing in Rome and that could be hugely significant looking ahead to the French Open.

With world No 2 Alexander Zverev the defending champion in Rome, he will be defending 1,000 ranking points in the Italian capital and he may need to defend the title to hang on to his ranking.

If Alcaraz were to win a few matches in Rome, Zverev’s hopes of heading into the French Open as world No 2 may be taken out of Zverev’s hands and that would be important ahead of the Roland Garros draw.

Alcaraz and world No 1 Sinner shared the Grand Slam titles between them last year and they will be the firm favourites to lift the title in Paris.

If Alcaraz is still ranked at No 3, there is a chance the ‘Big 2’ in men’s tennis could meet in the semi-finals in Roland Garros.

If he can move past Zverev in the rankings, he would have a path back to another French Open final that would not involve a match-up against Sinner.

There are big question marks over how the Italian will perform as he makes his return to tennis following an uncomfortable time away from the sport, but his dominance at the top of the rankings confirms he will be a contender at Roland Garros.

If Sinner and Alcaraz are not in the same half of the draw in Paris, the tennis world could get the dream final between the two great rivals who could dominate the men’s game for years to come.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz’s first coach on why leaving the Spaniard’s team was ‘the best decision’ he ever made

The post Carlos Alcaraz could be set to secure a massive French Open rankings boost appeared first on Tennis365.

Casper Ruud says he will get an injury ‘checked’ before the 2025 Madrid Masters final after experiencing rib discomfort during his semi-final match.

The Norwegian defeated Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-5 to reach a second clay-court final at Masters 1000 level.

However, despite the accolade, Ruud received treatment from the tournament physio after just three games and appeared in significant pain.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to finish the match, honestly,” admitted Ruud.

“I felt something in my rib during the warm up, just towards the end before going out [on court], and I felt it in nearly every shot, especially the serve.

“Luckily, I got some quick treatment on it. There’s not too much you can do, you only have three minutes [with the physio]. So I will go and check it out more now.

“I got a couple of painkillers, which is not the ideal thing, but at the same time in a situation like this, you have to do that now and then.

I was able to just play one game at a time really. It was easing and getting better as the match went on.”

His semi-final victory also ensured that the former world No 2 will return to the ATP top 10 after leaving the elite group two weeks ago – when he failed to defend his finalist points at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

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Cerundolo had defeated Ruud in their last two meetings, including at the most recent edition of the Miami Open, but it was the latter’s ‘clutchness’ which proved fatal for the Argentine as he failed to convert on 15 of his 18 break points.

“Honestly, I went out today thinking I was a little bit of an underdog because he really slapped me around on the court in Miami a few weeks ago, and that’s not long ago, so I had no chance against him,” joked Ruud.

“Of course, clay, it’s a little slower, it sets off my shots a little better, my shots will be more effective than on a hard court but he’s become a really, really great player and competitor no matter the surface.

“It’s not like just because it’s clay I’m going to win every time, he beat me on clay a couple of times already also. I just tried to seek my revenge.

“I went yesterday and rewatched our match from the [2024 Paris] Olympics, that was the last match that I won against him and it was on clay so I kind of had that match in my mind and realised here in Madrid, it’s a little faster and anything can happen.”

If Ruud manages to win Sunday’s showpiece match, he will become the first Norwegian to win a Masters 1000 singles title since the category was introduced in 1990. In that final, he will face either Jack Draper or Lorenzo Musetti.

The post Casper Ruud puts Madrid final participation in doubt as he admits to ‘not ideal’ injury appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Santos, the first coach of Carlos Alcaraz, has revealed that he left the Spaniard’s team after a ‘small dispute’ within the camp.

Santos, who coached Alcaraz from the age of five to 12, has been promoting his book ‘Alcaraz: The Forging of the Champion’ [translated from Spanish] in which he discusses the early upbringing of the four-time Grand Slam champion.

“Especially at that stage from the age of 5 to 12, I dedicated myself, body and soul, to Carlitos,” Santos stated, in a recent interview with Punto de Break, translated from Spanish.

“Not only in terms of tennis, but also in physical preparation, nutrition, I travelled with him, I studied with him, not only the work on the court but all the management that existed around it.

“He [Alcaraz’s father] read it [the book] and congratulated me, he liked it, but he didn’t tell me to remove or add anything, he just said that.”

Former Spanish world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero has often been credited for the world No 3’s rise to the tennis elite, working with Alcaraz since he was 16-years-old.

However, it was Santos who taught the Spaniard the basics which have provided the foundation of his current game – with a ‘slight’ being observed by the childhood coach.

“No, I don’t think [I have been given enough recognition],” Santos admitted.

“I explain this issue well in the book, I tell what is the real reason why I stop training Carlitos. This did not sit very well with his father, from then on our relationship cooled down a little.

“Over the years it recovers again, but as a result of the book we distance ourselves again. I don’t know, I think I should be in another position, in the end, I have done everything I could for that child, to the point of changing my personal and professional situation.”

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Whilst he doesn’t reveal the exact details as to why he left the team, a contributing factor seems to have been the addition of a new member who carried with them the promise of an important sponsor.

“That [new] person does not join for what he or she could contribute, but for bringing a sponsor,” Santos commented.

“When he joins the team, he doesn’t take on that role for coming to help, but the father turns a little to him at first, until he realises that what he wants next to his son is a coach, but – before that – he had to control the sponsor.

“I don’t step aside just because that person comes, but it’s true that at that moment there is a small dispute to see who gets it [the job], although the father was clear about it.

“In the end, I ended up walking away from the project because I wanted something more than a handshake, something firmer.”

Alcaraz is next scheduled to appear at the Rome Masters.

The post Carlos Alcaraz’s first coach on why leaving the Spaniard’s team was ‘the best decision’ he ever made appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz was widely expected to miss next week’s Rome Masters tournament after he was forced to pull out of this week’s ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid.

Yet footage has emerged of Alcaraz back on court, with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero working alongside him in images that have raised hopes he could be fit to play in the final ATP Masters 1000 warm-up event ahead of the defence of his French Open title at Roland Garros.

Alcaraz appeared to be moving well in the footage posted on Instagram by Christopher Boudames, who had a chance to meet his idol as he trained at the Ferrero Tennis Academy in Spain.

The world No 3 picked up the injury that kept him out of the Madrid tournament during his defeat against Holger Rune in the final of last month’s Barcelona Open and he was open about the nature of the problem as he spoke to the media. “In the Barcelona final I felt something in the left hamstring, I didn’t think that it was that serious,” Alcaraz said.

“I’m really disappointed that I’m not able to play here in Madrid. It is a place that I love playing in front of my people, in front of my family, my friends. They are not able to travel so much, so here is a special place for me. “It was a really difficult situation, really difficult to decide, not [being] able to play. I think it is what it is. Tennis is really a demanding sport.

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“Playing week after week, so many matches in a row and you have to heal your body sometimes and take difficult decisions. I will come back stronger. I will come back with a lot of power for the next tournaments. I’m really disappointed [to] not be playing here in Madrid.”

Carlos treinando hoje (02) em Murcia.

️ | christopherboudames via instagram story pic.twitter.com/AQr1axpOwh

— Carlos Alcaraz Brasil (@carlosalcarazbr) May 2, 2025

He went on to suggest he still intended to play in Rome as he added:  “My plan is to go to Rome. My mindset is to do everything it takes to be 100 per cent for Rome. I will do some tests at the beginning of next week just to see how it’s improved and from that let’s see how it’s going to be in the next days.

My hope is to play in Rome. If not, the next tournament is Roland Garros for me. So I will try to be on court as soon as possible.”

If Alcaraz plays in Rome, it will add to the hype around bubbling around a tournament that will see world No 1 Jannik Sinner make a return to action after his three-month suspension following a positive doping test.

Alcaraz started the clay court season in thrilling fashion as he won the Monte Carlo Masters in impressive fashion and he also looked in good form as he stormed into the final in Barcelona.

Yet he was stopped in his tracks by the injury that does not appear to be as serious as he feared as he is clearly preparing for the prospect of an appearance in Rome. READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner reveals his ‘favourite’ shot ahead of blockbuster Italian Open comeback

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The first clay-court WTA 1000 tournament of the season is drawing to a close in Madrid, and there will be some notable moves when the WTA Rankings update next week.

Here, we look at the Madrid Open winners and losers from a rankings perspective.

WTA Rankings Top 10 pre-Madrid

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 10,768
2. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 7,383
3. Jessica Pegula, United States – 6,208
4. Coco Gauff, United States – 6,073
5. Madison Keys, United States – 4,999
6. Jasmine Paolini, Italy – 4,930
7. Mirra Andreeva – 4,781
8. Zheng Qinwen, China – 4,193
9. Paula Badosa, Spain – 3,821
10. Emma Navarro, United States – 3,797

The women’s singles final at La Caja Magica is set, with Aryna Sabalenka set to face Coco Gauff in the Spanish capital.

World No 1 Sabalenka has stretched her lead at the top after reaching her second consecutive final in Madrid.

The Belarusian sits on the 10,768 points she started the tournament with after defending her runner-up points, and she could increase her total to 11,118 if she lifts the trophy.

Iga Swiatek was the defending champion, but the world No 2 has dropped 610 points after falling in the semi-finals this year — taking her points total from 7,383 to 6,773.

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Gauff started the Madrid Open in fourth position, but she has displaced third-ranked Jessica Pegula in the Live WTA Rankings with her run to the final.

The 21-year-old American has boosted her tally by 530 points to 6,603, and she can take the No 2 spot from Swiatek if she claims the title.

Pegula also had the chance to finish the tournament ranked second, but her third round exit ended her hopes.

Live WTA Rankings before Madrid final

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 10,768
2. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 6,773
3. Coco Gauff, United States – 6,603 (+1)
4. Jessica Pegula, United States – 6,273 (-1)
5. Jasmine Paolini, Italy – 4,875 (+1)
6. Madison Keys, United States – 4,824 (-1)
7. Mirra Andreeva – 4,781
8. Zheng Qinwen, China – 4,193
9. Emma Navarro, United States – 3,797 (+1)
10. Paula Badosa, Spain – 3,761 (-1)

Jasmine Paolini will climb above Madison Keys into fifth place after the latter fell a round short of her last four result in 2024.

Emma Navarro’s single victory before losing in the third round will be enough to see her replace Paula Badosa — who withdrew through injury — as the world No 9.

Winners outside the top 10

Diana Shnaider’s run to the last 16 has seen her rise from 13th to a new projected career-high of 11th in the live rankings.

Elina Svitolina is up three places from 17th to 14th after her excellent semi-final result.

Marta Kostyuk started the event ranked 36th, and she has surged to 27th position due to her quarter-final run.

Moyuka Uchijima, who progressed to the last eight, will leap nine spots from 56th to a new career-high of 47th.

Yuliia Starodubtseva reached the fourth round after coming through qualifying, and she has been rewarded with a 19-place climb to world No 79.

Losers outside the top 10

Elena Rybakina’s third round loss will see her drop a sizeable 325 points, taking her from 11th to 12th, as she was a semi-finalist in Madrid in 2024.

Beatriz Haddad Maia, who made the last eight a year ago, has dropped out of the top 20 (from 19th to 22nd) after her third round exit.

Ons Jabeur is set to fall from 28th to 36th after falling well short of her quarter-final effort in 2024.

Mayar Sherif’s first round defeat has seen her drop from 50th to 64th in the live rankings as she made the last 32 last year.

READ NEXT: Coco Gauff explains how she made Iga Swiatek ‘uncomfortable’ during their semi-final

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In a year of surprise defeats, Iga Swiatek was handed her worst yet.

The Pole looked erratic and out of ideas in a stunning 6-1, 6-1 loss to Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open on Thursday, her title defence coming to a screeching halt inside the Caja Magica.

It is the second-worst loss Swiatek has ever faced in WTA Tour-level clay-court match, with her 6-1, 6-0 loss to Simona Halep at the 2019 French Open – when she was just 18 – her only heavier defeat on the dirt.

The manner of the defeat, a third straight to Gauff after previously leading their head-to-head 11-1, brings about plenty of problems for the five-time Grand Slam champion.

And, perhaps most significant of all, it could prove to have an unfortunate impact on her WTA ranking.

How many ranking points will Swiatek lose?

Swiatek defeated Aryna Sabalenka in an extraordinary final to lift her first Madrid Open title twelve months ago, meaning she was under notable pressure as the reigning champion in 2025.

The Pole earned 1,000 ranking points for her triumph in 2024, and came into this year’s event with a total of 7,383 points.

Her semi-final run in 2025 has earned her 390 points, though that means 610 points will drop from her ranking when the WTA Rankings update next Monday (May 5th).

Swiatek will hold 6,773 ranking points when the rankings update – and may no longer even be the world No 2.

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How could Swiatek lose her world No 2 ranking?

When it comes to Swiatek potentially losing her world No 2 ranking, the mathematics are quite simple.

While the Pole will fall to 6,773 points in the WTA Rankings, Gauff has provisionally moved up to 6,603 points after her emphatic semi-final triumph.

That is a current increase of 530 points on the US star’s pre-tournament total of 6,073 points, after eclipsing her fourth-round exit from 2024.

The world No 4 heading into the tournament, Gauff is already guaranteed to move back above current world No 3 Jessica Pegula next Monday, reclaiming her US No 1 ranking.

However, the 21-year-old would also leapfrog above Swiatek and move back to her career-high of world No 2 if she wins Saturday’s final at the WTA 1000 final.

Victory over one of world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka or world No 17 Elina Svitolina would see Gauff hold 6,953 ranking points next week, putting her 180 points ahead of the Pole.

Swiatek has not been ranked outside the top two since March 21, 2022, spending 125 weeks of that period as the world No 1.

Even if Gauff is unable to win the final and replace Swiatek as the world No 2, the Pole’s ranking is still under threat over the next month and a half.

The world No 2 is defending 1,000 points as the Italian Open champion, and 2,000 points as the reigning French Open champion.

Read Next: Meet the lucky loser enjoying an incredible run of fortune at the Madrid Open

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Coco Gauff handed Iga Swiatek one of the most one-sided defeats of the Pole’s career as the American stormed into her first-ever Madrid Open final.

In an astonishing contest inside the Caja Magica, Gauff just dropped just two points behind her first serve and broke an erratic Swiatek five times on her way to a 6-1, 6-1 triumph, needing just 64 minutes to seal victory.

Swiatek once had a commanding 11-1 lead in the head-to-head between the two women, though Gauff now appears to be turning the tables with three straight wins, all in straight sets.

Gauff beat Swiatek in the round-robin stage of the 2024 WTA Finals and the final of the United Cup back in January, before Thursday’s lopsided affair in the Spanish capital.

“I think I was aggressive and played with margin,” said Gauff in her post-match interview.

“Maybe it wasn’t her [Swiatek’s] best level today, but I kind of forced her into some awkward positions. I’m really happy with how I played.

“Especially when you’re playing someone like Iga, you know at any moment she could come back and play great tennis. For me, it was just making sure my level stayed the same.

“I knew in that second set I had to raise it [my level], especially because she could come back, so I’m really happy with how I played.”

It was a clinical display from Gauff, who is now into her third WTA 1000 final.

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The American previously reached the final of the 2023 Cincinnati Open and 2024 China Open, winning the title on both occasions.

Gauff, aged 21 years and 39 days, is now the third-youngest player to reach WTA 1000 finals on clay and hard courts since the format was revamped in 2009, behind Caroline Wozniacki and Swiatek.

The world No 4 has also now handed Swiatek one of her worst-ever WTA Tour losses, and her second-worst loss on clay in terms of games lost.

Swiatek’s worst ever defeat on the dirt came when she was an 18-year-old back at the 2019 French Open, falling 6-1, 6-0 to former world No 1 Simona Halep in the fourth round.

Gauff is now just the second player to drop fewer than five games on the clay against the Pole, who has dominated on the clay in recent years.

However, the world No 2 has now failed to reach a final since lifting the 2024 French Open final, and has lost her last six semi-finals on WTA Tour-level.

Swiatek, who was the defending champion in Madrid, will now have to complete a significant reset ahead of the Italian Open in Rome, where she is also defending her title.

Meanwhile, Gauff will await to see whether she faces world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka or Elina Svitolina in Saturday’s final.

If the 21-year-old lifts the title, she will move above Swiatek and return to her career-high of world No 2 in the WTA Rankings.

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