American tennis players with single-digit seeds did not have a good Saturday at the Italian Open.
Taylor Fritz has not played much this spring because of an abdominal injury. He may try to log more clay court time at next week’s Geneva tournament, as Novak Djokovic is doing, after falling in straight sets to fellow American Marcos Giron, whose clay court form was downright impressive.
Marcos Giron with his second career top 5 win 🌟#IBI25 pic.twitter.com/ImWfi5dJ5y
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 10, 2025
Madison Keys lost a tight match to Peyton Stearns that came down to the third-set tiebreaker. Keys has cooled down from her lightning-fast start to the year, resulting in wins at Adelaide and the Australian Open. For Stearns, it was the biggest win of her career and secured her a Top 40 ranking for the first time in her career.
Mertens d. Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-1 in Rome
Fantastic win for Elise.
This is her first top 10 win since 2023… which was also against Pegula.
She now leads their head to head 4-1.
✅1st Rome R16 since 2020
She’s got her number.
🇧🇪❤️
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 10, 2025
Jessica Pegula looked out of sorts in her straight sets loss against Elise Mertens, who is a tough matchup for her and a player she has only beaten once.
Italian Open Big Saturday Winner: Danielle Collins
Without a doubt, American Danielle Collins was the biggest winner of the day, defeating World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in straight sets. Swiatek has not won a title since the 2024 French Open, and Collins played a perfect match against her.
Ice cold 🥶
Danielle Collins takes down the defending champ with a stunning performance 🙌#IBI25 pic.twitter.com/o4UHXdsECm
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 10, 2025
Swiatek’s loss will cost her the World No. 2 ranking, and it is unclear how far she will fall. She has been a mainstay in the Top 5 for nearly three years, so though it is a tough blow, she is only 23 years old.
With plenty of tennis left, Swiatek will regroup, though all eyes will be on her at Roland Garros later in the month, as she has won four of the last five French Opens.
As for Collins, she is playing with house money. She had a stellar year in 2024 and was seriously contemplating retirement. Her 2025 started slower and was stymied by injury. She played her best match in 2025 against Swiatek.
