American Danielle Collins pulled off a major upset by defeating world No. 2 Iga Świątek, who has been nearly unbeatable on clay, winning the Italian Open three times in the last four years.
Seeded 29th, Collins delivered a commanding performance, beating Świątek 6-1, 7-5. Świątek struggled with her serve throughout the match, being broken five times in a row, which ultimately cost her the game.
With this loss, Świątek will drop from the world No. 2 ranking, ending an impressive streak of over three years spent in the top two positions globally.
For Collins, this victory marked only her second win against Świątek in nine encounters and secured her place in the fourth round, where she is set to face Elina Svitolina.
“After losing to Iga so many times, you obviously learn from those experiences and matchups,” Collins said post-match, as reported by the WTA. “Even though she’s beaten me in our last few matches, I played some of my best tennis in those games. So that gave me confidence.”
Jannik Sinner Makes Triumphant Return After Doping Ban
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner made a remarkable comeback on Saturday at the Italian Open, returning to the court after a three-month doping suspension. The Italian star defeated Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-4 in front of a lively home crowd in Rome.
Despite his absence, Sinner still holds the world No. 1 ranking and showed why, delivering a strong performance to overcome Navone.
However, it was the support from the crowd that moved him most. “The standing ovation means much more than any result,” Sinner told reporters.
Fans welcomed him warmly—one held a sign saying “Bentornato Jannik” (Welcome back Jannik), while others dressed in orange, a nod to Sinner’s distinctive ginger hair, and snapped photos as he practiced.