The Italian Open delivered two contrasting storylines of dominance and dramatic comeback on Monday, as home favorite Jannik Sinner extended his historic winning streak while Coco Gauff fought off elimination to book a spot in the women’s quarterfinals.
World No. 1 Sinner delivered a masterclass in controlled aggression to blow past Australian contender Alexei Popyrin in just 61 minutes, clinching a lopsided 6-2, 6-0 straight-sets victory that advances him to the tournament’s round of 16. The 24-year-old Italian has now stretched his consecutive win streak to 25 matches this season across ATP Masters 1000 events, a milestone that places him alongside tennis legend Novak Djokovic as the only two players to open a year with 25 unbeaten Masters 1000 outings – Djokovic holds the all-time record with 31 consecutive wins set back in 2011.
Popyrin, ranked 60th in the world, never found his rhythm against Sinner’s relentless pressure. The Australian managed to land only 48 percent of his first serves, opening the door for Sinner to convert five of eight break point opportunities. Popyrin also coughed up 23 unforced errors, turning the contest into a one-sided affair. After the match, Sinner acknowledged his strong performance, noting: “He’s a big server so his percentage was not very high, which helped me for sure a little bit, but I’ve been returning very well on the second serves.”
Up next for Sinner is an unexpected Italian derby against 29-year-old qualifier Andrea Pellegrino. Ranked 155th in the world, Pellegrino pulled off one of the upsets of the tournament so far, defeating 20th seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6(10/8), 6-1 to advance. Remarkably, Pellegrino had never even qualified for the main draw of a Masters 1000 tournament before this year’s Italian Open.
For Sinner, a Rome title would carry historic significance: he would become the first Italian man to claim the Italian Open crown since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago, and it would also give him a complete collection of Masters 1000 titles. With top rival Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by injury and Djokovic eliminated in an early upset, Sinner enters the remainder of the tournament as the overwhelming favorite, building momentum ahead of next week’s French Open as he chases a career Grand Slam.
In other men’s draw action, 2019 Rome champion Daniil Medvedev received a walkover into the third round, and will next face Pablo Llamas Ruiz for a spot in the round of 16.
Over on the women’s side of the draw, top contender Coco Gauff survived a major scare against 19-year-old compatriot Iva Jovic, rallying from a match point down to secure a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 victory that books her place in the quarterfinals. The three-hour tussle, played on a windy center court, tested the reigning French Open champion, who entered the match having struggled for form on clay this season: Gauff exited the Madrid Open in the round of 16 earlier this month, following a disappointing quarterfinal run in Stuttgart.
Trailing 5-4 in the second set and facing match point on Jovic’s serve, Gauff saved the championship point before a moment of frustration saw her smack herself in the head to snap out of her slump. The shift in momentum worked, as Gauff reeled off eight of the next nine games to close out the comeback victory. She will next face Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals. After the match, Gauff credited her fighting spirit for the win, saying: “It was really hard. I think the conditions made it tough to make some clean tennis. Really proud of how I was able to fight.”
Upcoming highlights on Tuesday include a highly anticipated showdown between four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka and three-time Italian Open champion Iga Swiatek. Osaka has had a tough 2025 season, exiting both Indian Wells and Madrid in the round of 16 at the hands of Aryna Sabalenka, and a quarterfinal berth in Rome would mark her best result of the year. Swiatek, meanwhile, has not claimed a clay court title since winning her fourth French Open championship in 2024, and will be looking to find her rhythm ahead of the year’s second Grand Slam.