Iga Swiatek snaps unwanted record to reach semi-final with victory over Jessica Pegula at Italian Open - 'Feel much better'
Published 13/05/2026 at 18:56 GMT+1
React to this story
Iga Swiatek is back in the swing of things after beating a top-10 opponent for the first time this year to reach the last four of the Italian Open.
Highlights: Swiatek shows class to win opener and set up Raducanu clash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Swiatek beat fifth-seed Jessica Pegula 6-1 6-2 on Wednesday to book a place in the semi-finals.
The 24-year-old has not won a clay court tournament since the most recent of her four Roland-Garros titles in 2024.
The Pole will face Elena Rybakina or Elina Svitolina in the last four as she continues her preparations for the French Open, which will be shown live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
Defending French open champion Coco Gauff faces Sorana Cîrstea in the other semi-final.
Swiatek was forced to retire from her Madrid Open third-round match against Ann Li last month after complaining of "feeling really bad physically" because of a virus.
However, Swiatek recovered in time to play in Rome, and, speaking after the win, she revealed her "confidence" in her shots.
"I feel much better,” said Swiatek. "I have a lot of confidence in my shots. I used that from the beginning of the match and kept putting pressure on Jessie. I’m really happy with how I played."
Swiatek, a three-time champion in Rome, took a little more than an hour to beat American Pegula on clay, her preferred surface.
Swiatek is "feeling good" in Rome ahead of her next match.
"If you play well, if you feel the ball right, if you are doing the right things, it’s all clicking, it’s easy to enjoy," she said. "Yeah, I am enjoying.
"There are tournaments that you enjoy. There are tournaments where you feel you play terribly, not even play, but you overall feel terrible.
"You need to kind of accept it can happen, and kind of move on, work, so you have an opportunity to play well on the next one, maybe. For sure, I feel good here."
- Murray joins Draper's coaching team for grass-court season
- 'The mind makes the difference', says Sinner after equaling record
Swiatek spoke about the virus which forced her off the court in Rome after retiring from the match.
"I’ve heard there’s something going around in the locker room, a virus that’s out there somewhere. I know I’ll be fine in a couple of days, but today I felt like I had zero energy, zero stability.
"I’ve been feeling really bad physically; yesterday was even worse. I thought maybe things would be better today, and maybe they were, but not enough to play that much.
"I’m going to need a few days to get rid of this virus, but I hope to be well and ready in three or four days. Then I’ll be ready to train."
Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.
TNT Sports is the exclusive French Open broadcaster in the UK and Ireland. Coverage of every court will be available to stream live on HBO Max.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement