Tennis Weekly — May 11, 2026
The Rome clay courts have been the center of the tennis world this week, with the 2026 Italian Open in full swing and delivering early drama, rain delays, and standout performances on both the ATP and WTA fronts. Meanwhile, an injury subplot shadows the tournament as Holger Rune suffers a setback in his anticipated comeback from an Achilles tear, while the ongoing Grand Slam prize money dispute continues to simmer among top players and their union.
Tennis Weekly — May 11, 2026
Tournament Recap
The 2026 Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome kicked off its extended 12-day Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 format, with Day One completing 13 matches despite rain interruptions. The expanded schedule offered a silver lining: a rain delay on the Roman clay doesn't derail the whole event as it might in a shorter tournament.
On the WTA side, defending champion Jasmine Paolini headlines a star-studded draw that includes Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula. Predictions from analysts have centered on Rybakina and an emerging challenger named Jovic as dark-horse contenders. Prize money for the tournament remains a talking point given the broader ATP/WTA–Grand Slam disputes that erupted earlier this month.
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Italian Open, while Novak Djokovic — described as "jaded" in some reports — was set to make a comeback appearance at the tournament before crashing out. Reigning World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and other top players have weighed in publicly on the ongoing boycott discussions surrounding the Roland Garros prize money announcement.
Player Spotlight
Holger Rune's road to recovery has hit another obstacle. The 23-year-old Dane, who suffered an Achilles tear approximately seven months ago, had been targeting a return to competition at the Italian Open this month. However, a fresh setback has pushed back his timeline once more — Rune now appears set to target the grass season in June as his next realistic window for competitive play.
The news is a blow for fans who had eagerly anticipated one of the tour's most charismatic young talents returning to full fitness. Rune's absence has been keenly felt in the upper half of the ATP rankings, and the Achilles injury — one of the most notoriously difficult for athletes to recover from — has tested his patience as the clay-court season reached its peak without him. His team will now hope the switch to grass, which typically begins in mid-June, provides a gentler surface for his re-entry into competition.
The wider conversation around player fitness and comebacks has also been a theme of the clay swing this spring. A recent feature explored why players find it psychologically and tactically difficult to beat an injured or cramping opponent — a scenario that cropped up notably during Iga Świątek's uneven early 2026 season, marked by a straight-sets defeat in which her serve put her at a disadvantage from the first ball.
Coming Up
With the Italian Open still in progress and set to conclude in the coming days, attention will quickly shift toward Roland Garros, which kicks off at the end of May. The French Open draw and entry lists — including both men's and women's singles and doubles — have already been published.
A special focus at Roland Garros this year will be wheelchair tennis, with a dedicated inclusive weekend running from June 2–6 featuring quad and other wheelchair competitions alongside a range of fan activities.
The Grand Slam prize money dispute will also loom large over the fortnight in Paris. Top ATP and WTA players issued a joint statement just days ago expressing frustration at Roland Garros's prize money announcement and the lack of progress on demands first raised a year ago. Both Sinner and Sabalenka have spoken out on the issue publicly, with some reports raising the possibility of more coordinated player action ahead of the Slam.
Holger Rune — fitness permitting — and Jack Draper, who earlier this year confirmed a comeback from his own injury layoff, are both names to watch on grass as the season moves into June, setting the stage for what promises to be a fiercely contested Wimbledon build-up.
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