Iga Swiatek’s return to Rome was more difficult than expected, but the three-time Italian Open champion found enough composure in the final set to avoid an early exit.
The Polish star, ranked No. 3 in the world and seeded No. 4 in Rome, defeated American Caty McNally 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 on Friday to reach the third round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The match lasted two hours and 43 minutes and forced Swiatek to recover after letting a commanding position slip away.
Swiatek looked in full control early. Her heavy topspin and sharp forehand carried her through a one-sided first set, and she appeared headed for a routine victory after moving ahead 6-1, 3-1. But McNally changed the rhythm of the match with defense, slices and variety, pulling Swiatek into longer exchanges and forcing errors at key moments.
The American fought back to take the second set in a tiebreak after Swiatek failed to serve out the match twice, at 5-4 and again at 6-5. Those missed chances briefly turned what had looked like a straightforward opener into a serious test for a player still searching for her first clay-court title since Roland Garros in 2024.
“It was a very tough match. Caty played really well,” Swiatek said after advancing. The decider was not completely comfortable either. Swiatek broke for 3-1, then immediately handed the break back after another loose service game.
But with McNally threatening to level at 4-4, the Pole steadied herself, regained control of the baseline and broke again before serving out the match.
Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion whose major titles include four French Opens, has built much of her career dominance on clay. Rome has been one of her most productive stops, with titles in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Her ability to survive a difficult opening match could prove useful as she tries to rebuild momentum before Roland Garros.
She will next face either No. 28 seed Emma Navarro or Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the third round. Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Alexandra Eala of the Philippines also advanced to the next round after defeating China’s Wang Xinyu, continuing her strong week in Rome.
On the men’s side, Rafael Jódar’s remarkable rise continued. The 19-year-old Spaniard defeated Portugal’s Nuno Borges 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 event. Jódar, competing as a seeded player on the ATP Tour for the first time, needed one hour and 56 minutes to close out the win.
The victory added another chapter to what has quickly become one of the most intriguing breakthrough stories of the clay season. Jódar won his first ATP title in Marrakech, reached the semifinals in Barcelona and made the quarterfinals in Madrid before falling to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. He has now built a 13-2 tour-level record on clay this season and has risen to a career-high No. 34 in the ATP rankings.
Against Borges, Jódar showed the same calm under pressure that has marked his recent run. He recovered from a tight opening set and won four straight points from 3-4 down in the tiebreak before taking control in the second set.
“It was a very tough match,” Jódar said. “Nuno played very well from the first point, so I had to give my best level to win this match.”
Jódar’s next opponent will be Italian wild card Matteo Arnaldi, who delivered one of the surprises of the day by upsetting sixth seed Alex de Minaur 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. The win sent Arnaldi into the Rome third round for the first time and set up a first career meeting with Jódar.
For Swiatek, the day was about survival. For Jódar, it was another step in a rapid climb that is beginning to look less like a hot streak and more like a genuine arrival.
