Foro Flares

Love-Love Letter #9 | May 5-11

Your tennis cheat sheet — for fans who like the game, but don’t want to live on Tennis Twitter.

🌍 Where in the World Are We?

It’s the last hurrah before Roland Garros — the Foro Italico transforms into a clay-court colosseum for the ATP & WTA 1000 Italian Open. Think of it as the dress rehearsal (in 360° slow-mo clay) for Paris.
📌 What’s happening: We’re currently in the Round of 32 / Round of 16; still in the tourney is Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Lorenzo Musetti and Arthur Fils on the men’s side; and Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins and Mirra Andreeva on the women’s side—while three-time Rome champ Iga Świątek fell to Collins in R3.

✅ Results You Should Know

Danielle Collins def. Iga Świątek 6-1, 7-5
💡Why it matters: Collins unloaded 32 winners and steamrolled the three-time Rome champion—proof that Świątek’s clay-court throne isn’t unassailable.

Jannik Sinner def. Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-4
💡Why it matters: Fresh off his multi-month suspension, Sinner served up mustard-hot forehands and cheeky drop shots—zero rust and all fireworks.

Carlos Alcaraz def. Laslo Djere 7-6(2), 6-2
💡Why it matters: Alcaraz dug out of a tight first-set tiebreak to remind everyone that he’s still the king of clay resilience—this victory extends his undefeated streak in key build-up events and injects serious momentum into his bid for a first Italian Open title and deep run at Roland Garros.

🔥 Can’t-Miss Highlights

🎥 Alcaraz’s “Hold My Aperol” Point
An audacious defense-into-offense transition that froze the Foro and reminded everyone why he’s a clay-court magician
▶️ Watch it here (start at 1:38)

🎥 Collins’ Down-the-Line Dagger
A searing backhand bullet that ripped through Świątek’s defense and set the tone for the upset
▶️ Watch it here (start at 1:57)

📆 What to Watch For

Jannik Sinner vs. Jesper de Jong (Round of 32) - can Sinner shrug off de Jong’s flat bullets and keep his clay mojo?

Aryna Sabalenka vs. Marta Kostyuk (Round of 16) - power vs. disruption—will Sabalenka’s firepower or Kostyuk’s rhythm-bending game win out?

Danielle Collins vs. Elise Mertens (Round of 16) - momentum meets craft—who will dictate the grinders’ baseline duel?

📰 Off-Court Happenings

Mirror Moves: Mirra Andreeva was caught on cam copying Alcaraz’s shadow swings—her coach paused mid-sip to applaud the slick impersonation.

Sole Spin Science: Nike quietly parked its prototype “Clay Legend” kicks on Rome’s practice courts—players swear they feel like they’re running on spin-glue. If this sticks, get ready for a clay-shoe arms race in 2026.

Ticket Express: Rome unleashed contactless turnstiles this week—fans simply tap and stroll in, chopping entry times by more than half. Wimbledon, are you taking notes?

👗 An Outfit Worth Seeing

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s Denim Debut
Pavlyuchenkova turned heads with a custom light-denim tennis skirt and matching jacket—an homage to Agassi and Serena that’s both retro and runway-ready. She snapped a four-match losing streak in Rome wearing this “double-denim” power look, proving fashion can be a legit weapon on clay.