On May 13, 2026, Iga Swiatek, a standout in women’s tennis and a three-time champion, secured her place in the semifinals of the Italian Open with an emphatic victory over American player Jessica Pegula. Swiatek, currently ranked fourth in the world, dispatched Pegula, who holds the fifth spot, in a commanding performance, wrapping up the match in just 67 minutes with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-2.
Swiatek’s form is looking promising as she heads towards the French Open, a tournament she has previously triumphed in four times. Reflecting on her performance, she expressed satisfaction with her time on the court, stating, “I’m happy that I can spend some time on the court and play really solid matches against the best girls. For sure it’s giving me confidence because you can practice as much as possible, but if you don’t test it out on the court, play matches and face pressure or something, you’re going to still feel a little bit rusty when it comes.”
Looking ahead, Swiatek is set to meet Elina Svitolina in the next round. Svitolina, a former champion at the Rome event, staged a comeback to defeat second-seeded Elena Rybakina, with a final score of 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
In the men’s quarterfinals, Casper Ruud put together an impressive performance, overcoming 13th-ranked Karen Khachanov. The match included a significant weather delay of over two hours, which occurred at the beginning of the second set. After the interruption, Khachanov seemed to adapt better initially, taking the second set 6-1. However, Ruud, ranked 23rd, rallied back in the third set by breaking Khachanov’s serve twice and ultimately won the match 6-1, 1-6, 6-2, closing it out on his second match point.
Ruud’s next challenge awaits as he will face the winner of the upcoming semifinal between 19-year-old Rafael Jodar from Spain and Italian player Luciano Darderi. As the Italian Open progresses, both the men’s and women’s brackets promise thrilling matchups in the days to come.
