Different scenarios, same goal achieved, and eyes on Roland Garros

 Elina Svitolina and Jannik Sinner are the names of the week in the world of Tennis. Champions of the singles draw at the Rome Masters 1000, both were dominant, confident and showed on the court how deserved they were to win the title of the tournament that precedes the clay court Grand Slam.

In contrast, Rome provided the necessary energy for these two athletes to prepare as intensely as possible for the French Open. Here's why:

Elina Svitolina 

At 31 years old, a three-time champion in Rome! When she won the tournament for the first time, she was 23 years old and possessed all the strength and courage that age proved, even staging a comeback with a double 6-0 victory against Mona Barthel in the second round, showing what she was made of; in the final, another comeback, this time against Simona Halep.

To defend her title in 2018, Elina seemed even more confident and energized at the Foro Italico, and a run without dropping a set saw her punish the same opponent from the previous year's final, Simona Halep, this time with a score of 6-0, 6-4.

Eight years later, it's 2026 and Elina is a mother, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, and a well-established figure in the WTA: respected, admired by many, and often feared by opponents who know very well that she is versatile, experienced, and extremely dangerous. Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Cori Gauff were victims in succession of the champion Svitolina, who made sure to make it clear: "give me a good idea of ​​how to get to Roland Garros."

Photo: WTA Rome


Jannik Sinner 

34 consecutive wins. That number seems more than enough, especially when combined with the achievement of winning all three Masters 1000 titles, along with only one remaining goal to complete his Tennis career: winning Roland Garros.

Men's Tennis seems to be in Jannik's hands in recent months, and hard work, objectivity, and total focus have made him make history on home soil, becoming only the second italian to win in Rome. In the final against Casper Ruud, a norwegian who came out strong and demanded something extra from Jannik; just as the great competitor Daniil Medvedev did in the second and third sets of the semi-final. But when Jannik is called upon to work harder, he always do it.

The week leading up to Roland Garros should be very straightforward for the Italian, almost a repetition of everything he already does: rest, teamwork, tactical and physical training, little media attention, and apparently his eyes, mind, and heart focused on Philippe Chatrier.

Photo: ATP Rome 


It's true that Elina and Jannik are experiencing different moments in their careers, but in the end, the fuel needed for Roland Garros remains alive after a great run in Italy.

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