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After a close runner-up finish in Madrid, Coco Gauff had a great opportunity to emerge victorious in Rome. She took on Jasmine Paolini in the final and lost to the Italian in straight sets.
Despite her tough losses in recent weeks, Gauff would feel relieved about her splendid form on tour. The American failed to make a valuable contribution in Indian Wells and Miami, but looked much better on clay.
Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev's shaky form continued in the Italian Open this month. After a title-winning run in Munich, he could only manage a quarterfinal appearance in Rome. Despite a spirited performance against Lorenzo Musetti, the Italian defeated him, 7-6(1), 6-4.
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Without further ado, let's look at the most interesting updates from the tennis world last week.
#1. Coco Gauff praises Emma Raducanu's progress on tour
Coco Gauff started her campaign in Rome by cruising past Victoria Mboko and Magda Linette in the initial few rounds. She then took on Emma Raducanu in the fourth round and praised the Brit for her all-around game and skill set on clay.
"She's obviously a great player and the last time we played, it was a tough match. it's going to be a different matchup on clay here but I think she has the game to be a great claycourt player. Obviously, a great player in general but especially on clay so it's going to be a tough match and I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I can come out with the win," Coco Gauff said.
Raducanu also shared her views about the American and highlighted Gauff's success in the past.
"Coco Gauff is a great competitor. I think I'm playing pretty good tennis right now and she is going to be a great test. She's made the final of the French Open and so she's great on this surface. I'm just going to keep focused but savor this one for now," Raducanu said.
#2. Lorenzo Musetti hits back at Alexander Zverev's criticism about his passive game
Lorenzo Musetti has been one of the most in-form players on clay. After a runner-up finish in Monte-Carlo, he registered semifinal runs in Madrid and Rome.
In his quarterfinal bout against Alexander Zverev in the Italian Open, Musetti hit back at the German's negative claims about his game. Zverev felt that the Italian was too passive, but Musetti explained his approach on court.
"Does he think I'm too cautious? If he wants, he can do it too. We also played on other surfaces and the result was the same," Lorenzo Musetti said.
"Of course, for me, for my game style, today was not easy because at the end of the day, I'm still somebody who tries to play aggressively. I'm still somebody who tries to serve very fast. That's how it is. It's difficult to get free points today," he added.
Zverev was the defending champion in the Italian Open this year, but Musetti defeated him in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
#3. Jannik Sinner's mother Siglinde goes through an emotional rollercoaster during Italian's semifinal win
Next up, Jannik Sinner's mother went through an emotional rollercoaster during the Italian's clutch semifinal win at the Italian Open.
Sinner's mother, Siglinde, made a rare appearance courtside during the Italian's semifinal encounter against Tommy Paul. After witnessing her son lose the first set 6-0, she couldn't contain her anxiety and left the stadium.
Siglinde spoke about her thought process and explained why she preferred to watch Sinner's matches at home.
"I left at the end of the first set. I'll take a walk around here and wait for the match to end. I never follow Jannik's entire matches live, it rarely happens. I prefer to stay in front of the TV. Only in Turin did I manage to see the final and a bit of the previous rounds. My husband stayed, he never has any problems," Jannik Sinner's mom said.
"No, I'm not even thinking about it. I'll wait for it to finish, I'll continue walking. And anyway, as my son says, if things go badly, 'It's just a game,'" she added.
#4. Coco Gauff joins Alexander Zverev in criticizing the tennis ball quality in the Italian Open
Coco Gauff took on Zheng Qinwen in the semifinal of the Italian Open. The American was scheduled to play her during the night session in Rome.
Gauff spoke about the ball acting differently during the night and being heavier than usual. She also mentioned how the court was slower, which affected the rhythm of players on tour.
"Honestly, the whole match for me the court was so slow. Especially when the ball after like two games, they're so heavy. This was my second night match. My first one was first round. I was playing someone completely different game style. Yeah, it was tough," Coco Gauff said.
Despite the challenges, Coco Gauff outlasted Zheng Qinwen in the semifinal, 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4). She defeated the Chinese No. 1 for the second time in Rome.
#5. Jack Draper gets emotional as he remembers being treated like a rookie on tour
Lastly, Jack Draper reflected on his quick progress on tour in the last few years. He was ranked outside the Top 300 in 2020, but is among the top five players in the world. He captured his maiden Masters 1000 crown in Indian Wells this year and reached the finals of the Madrid Open.
The Brit shared how he was rejected by players for practice sessions at the beginning of his career. He also shared how they eventually got together, and he earned their respect on tour.
"When I first came onto the tour, I remember being 340 in the world, and I got a wild card into the Miami Open, and I wrote my name down for practice, and no one wanted to hit with me. They were all just crossing out my name and putting someone else's name," Jack Draper said.
"But obviously, I think as you play more, as you win more matches, as you get to know the players and get to know that we're all the same, and we're all sacrificing our lives and trying to do the right thing in tennis and trying to go after our goals — that gains respect. And so I think, combined with results and just the person, I think that, ultimately leads to more respect," he added.
Jack Draper has been one of the most in-form players on tour this year. He's chalked up 22 wins from 28 matches, including a title-winning run in Indian Wells and runner-up finishes in Doha and Madrid.
