Week in review: Svitolina hits a milestone, Andreeva charms and a doubles streak snaps
They say that Rome wasn't built in a day -- and on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, that's also true of a big title run.
The second week of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia saw many of the biggest names in the game take their final clay-court swings ahead of the year's second Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, and when all was said and done, Elina Svitolina ruled them all.
Read on for all the highlights from the final rounds in the Eternal City.
Star of the Week
Elina Svitolina
The Ukrainian is the obvious pick for this honor after leaving the Foro Italico with her third career Internazionali BNL d'Italia title -- and her first WTA 1000 triumph since she last won Rome back in 2018.
Svitolina's three biggest wins, all in three sets, against Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, made the 31-year-old Svitolina the first player since 1990 to score three wins against Top 5 opponents in Rome, and also made her the first Ukrainian player to win 20 WTA singles titles.
As peers and fans alike saluted her historic efforts, her husband, former Top 10 ATP player Gael Monfils, served up the cherry on the proverbial cake. The Frenchman shared a sweet tribute to "an incredible mom to Skaï, an exceptional athlete, a soul like no other" on social media in the aftermath of her title.
“I’m so proud of you, my love," he wrote. "Of your strength, your calm, of everything you carry quietly day after day. You inspire me, every single day. Enjoy this, soak it all in. You deserve every second of it. I love you.”
"What a season, what a week, what a player. But above all, what a woman,” he added.
We agree.
First of the Week
Iga Swiatek -- finally -- reaches a semifinal
Iga Swiatek is no stranger to the business end of tournaments as one of this generation's most prolific champions. But entering Rome, she couldn't shake the fact that she'd fallen short of reaching a semifinal, or better, at any event (excluding the season-opening United Cup team event where her Polish team won it all) since she won the Korea Open last September.
As it turned out, a visit one of her favorite places cured some of those ills.
The three-time Rome champion put that chatter to rest during her run to the second week, where she defeated Naomi Osaka in the Round of 16 and Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals with the loss of just six games combined, before losing a tight match to Svitolina.
Upset of the Week
Bucsa and Melichar-Martinez cool off Siniakova and Townsend
Top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend came into the doubles semifinals in Rome as winners of 18 straight matches, and appeared primed to leave the Eternal City with a staggering fourth straight WTA 1000 doubles title won this year after sweeping Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid.
Until Cristina Bucsa and Nicole Melichar-Martinez had something to say about it, that is.
The Spanish-American pair stunned Siniakova and Townsend in the semifinals 6-4, 6-4 in the first loss for Siniakova and Townsend as a team since Jan. 27.
Stat of the Week
Svitolina sets a record for break points saved
Svitolina's middle name was "clutch" throughout her Rome run -- and nothing exemplified that more than the 58 break points she saved in five matches.
Here they are, match by match:
- 2R vs. Noemi Basiletti (9 saved, 11 faced)
- 3R vs. Hailey Baptiste (5 saved, 5 faced)
- R16 vs. Nikola Bartunkova (3 saved, 7 faced)
- QF vs. Elena Rybakina (16 saved, 20 faced)
- SF vs. Iga Swiatek (6 saved, 11 faced)
- F vs. Coco Gauff (14 saved, 17 faced).
She is the first player to save more than 50 break points at a WTA 1000 event in the last five years, since the WTA started tracking the statistic.
A bonus prize? Her 131 total winners for the tournament was also a personal best in that span.
Shot of the Week
If you thought that Svitolina was tired after more than 10 hours on court in Rome ... you thought wrong.
Deep in the third set of the championship match against Gauff, this incredible running passing shot set up what was the final service break in the match.
Social Moment of the Week
Mirra Andreeva had a great effort in the Italian capital, where she lost a tense quarterfinal to Coco Gauff and won the doubles title with Diana Shnaider. But the moment that topped them all?
When she met her new little bestie.
As WTA founder Billie Jean King always says -- "You have to see it to be it!" -- and we have no doubt that that little one will remember that moment for a long time to come.