World No. 1 Iga Swiatek defeated world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win the Italian Open final in Rome
For the second event in a row, Iga Swiatek battled Aryna Sabalenka in a WTA 1000 final, and much like in Madrid, the Polish player won again, this time at the 2024 Italian Open in Rome. The final in Madrid was a spectacular match that went the distance and saw the Belarusian not use three match points. She also put together a solid week of tennis in Rome but admitted before the final that she dealt with some injury problems. The top seed, on the other hand, had no such problems as she continued her tremendous run in Rome with convincing wins. She was the favorite in this match because it was played on a court that favored her more than the one in Madrid. That certainly proved true on the tennis courts because Sabalenka was really no match for her. There is a good chance her injury impacted her level as well, but for the most part, it was just Swiatek being the more comfortable player on such a court. The opening set was a pretty easy 6-2 win for the world no. 1 which was impressive bec...