The Italian Open crowd has had plenty of local success to celebrate over the last week-and-a-half, with Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti reaching the semifinals of the men’s draw, and Jasmine Paolini reaching the final on the women’s side.

Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner visited Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play.

World number one Jannik Sinner has met Pope Leo XIV in Rome. The 23-year-old, who has reached the quarter-finals of the Italian Open in his first tournament since serving a three-month doping ban, was invited by the Vatican to meet the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church.

Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman in more than a decade to reach the final of her home Italian Open when she beat American Peyton Stearns 7-5 6-1 on Thursday. Paolini is the first Italian to advance to the final in Rome since her doubles partner Sara Errani lost to Serena Williams in 2014.

Coco Gauff extended her unbeaten streak against Mirra Andreeva to reach the Italian Open semifinals on Wednesday. Gauff played aggressively throughout to advance to the last four at the clay-court tournament for the third time with a 6-4,

China's Zheng Qinwen stuns world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 6-3 to set up an Italian Open semi-final against Coco Gauff.

Champion Alexander Zverev and world number one Aryna Sabalenka fell by the wayside in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open on Wednesday, while Carlos Alcaraz beat Briton's Jack Draper 6-4 6-4 to reach the last four for the first time at the claycourt event.

Carlos Alcaraz beat Jack Draper 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the semifinals of the Italian Open. Alcaraz saved six of the eight break points he faced. The third-ranked Alcaraz, who withdrew from the Madrid tournament due to an upper right leg problem that bothered him during the Barcelona Open final,