Iga Swiatek continues to roll, taking down Bianca Andreescu 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 in a 104-minute match to advance to the Italian Open semifinals.

XXVI wins 🏛

The remarkable run continues as @iga_swiatek fends off Andreescu 7-6(2), 6-0!#IBI22 pic.twitter.com/NiWdcM26AK

— wta (@WTA) May 13, 2022

With her 26th straight match win, the 20-year-old has now equaled the fifth longest streak this century, matching a streak by Victoria Azarenka. Only Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Justine Henin have won more matches in a row since 2000.

Venus Williams currently holds the record for longest winning streak this century, having rattled off 35 matches in a row starting at Wimbledon in 2000.

“Being in that kind of group is like a dream come true for me,” Swiatek told the WTA website. “I wouldn’t think of that when I was younger. I’m pretty happy that I could do that because consistency was the thing I really wanted to work on last year. This year I feel like it clicked.”

During her winning streak, Swiatek has dropped just one set. She has won 38 of her past 39 dating back to the fourth round of Indian Wells. She dropped a set against Liudmila Samsonova at Stuttgart in the semifinals. Of her 13 tour-level quarterfinals, Swiatek has won 12 and hasn’t lost in a quarterfinal since Roland Garros in 2021.

Andreescu, who returned to action at Stuttgart following a mental health break, didn’t go quietly. Going from up 3-2 to down 5-3 in the opening set, she rallied back to force a tiebreak.

“I wasn’t really expecting anything because I didn’t actually know how she’s playing after the break,” said Swiatek. “I watched many of her matches before she did that break. Right now I didn’t know if her tennis is the same or it changed a little bit.

“But I knew that physically I can play longer rallies and also play longer matches. So basically I was ready for that. Also, I knew that she’s going to change rhythm. She did that, which was pretty tricky. Just knowing that, I was just ready for it. Tactically I knew it about it, so I’m pretty happy that we prepared well.”

She’ll move on to face Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. Sabalenka finally broke through against Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win. She had gone three years and four matches without winning against Anisimova.

Welcome to the first episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.

The debut episode of Sports Are Fun! dropped today, with soccer icon Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, retired NWSL star Merritt Mathias, and JWS intern BJ professing their hottest takes all things women's sports.

"Obviously we're gonna have guests come on that are relevant for whatever's happening in the world of sports, but it really is going to feel like a group hang," O'Hara told JWS.

"I might think one thing, and my guest co-host is gonna think another thing. To me, that just sparks more conversations."

This week, the crew gets into WNBA offseason moves, NWSL players departing for Europe, Unrivaled's upcoming 1v1 tournament, and so much more.

'Sports Are Fun!' tackles the WNBA — hot takes included

The trio really got going on the WNBA this week, voicing their opinions on this year's free agency winners, losers, and everything in between.

"Honestly, WNBA free agency is wild every year, but this year it felt even crazier than usual," says Diaz. "There's so much movement... But we're seeing all these players sign one year deals because the CBA is up October 31st."

"This is the season where you go wherever — it doesn't even matter where you go," she continues. "I would go wherever who like whoever's going to give me the most bread."

"As much as on paper it looks like Aces might have won, I think that there's the question of too much star power. How is the chemistry going to work out on the court?" asks O'Hara, questioning the recent three-way trade that saw Las Vegas pick up Jewell Loyd while sending Kelsey Plum to LA. "KP is a dog, you know? That is the mentality and the kind of edginess that the Sparks have been missing."

"Listen, from a basketball perspective, yeah, massive," adds Mathias. "But what I am looking at is Alyssa Thomas to Mercury and DeWanna Bonner to Indiana — which means we no longer have couple tunnel 'fits!"

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place. Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

The Big Ten is finally heating up, stealing the NCAA basketball spotlight from the SEC with a slate of Top 10 games sure to rattle next week's AP Poll.

No. 8 Ohio State tips off the top-ranked party first, embarking on a West Coast trip that will see them face No. 1 UCLA on Wednesday before battling No. 7 USC on Saturday.

Top 10 ups and downs

The Trojans took a slight hit in Monday's updated AP rankings after falling to unranked Iowa on Sunday, with USC's second loss of the season sending them three spots down to No. 7 while still retaining their Top 10 status.

Fellow Big Ten newcomer No. 1 UCLA locked in another week at the top after a unanimous vote, but the Bruins won't be resting on any laurels — Wednesday's clash with Ohio State will only be their second Top 10 matchup of the season.

Meanwhile, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 UConn, and No. 6 LSU all benefitted from USC's skid, each inching up one spot while the rest of the Top 10 remained unchanged.

A Big Ten race to the finish

Even though UCLA is the only undefeated team left in Division I basketball, the Bruins' shot at claiming the Big Ten's regular-season title will likely be determined in the final few weeks of the 2024/25 campaign.

With only one conference loss each, both the Buckeyes and Trojans currently sit tied for second-place behind UCLA on the Big Ten table, though those standings could shift with this week's matchups.

After putting their Wednesday date with Ohio State in the rearview, the Bruins must still face longtime crosstown rival USC twice in the last seven games of their season's schedule.

How to watch the Big Ten college basketball this week

No. 8 Ohio State will tip off their LA trip against No. 1 UCLA at 9:30 PM ET on Wednesday, with live coverage streaming on Peacock.

Then, the Buckeyes will contend with No. 7 USC at 9 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on FOX.

AP College Basketball Top 25: Week 14

1. UCLA (21-0, Big Ten)
2. South Carolina (21-1, SEC)
3. Notre Dame (19-2, ACC)
4. Texas (22-2, SEC)
5. UConn (21-2, Big East)
6. LSU (23-1, SEC)
7. USC (19-2, Big Ten)
8. Ohio State (20-1, Big Ten)
9. TCU (21-2, Big 12)
10. Duke (17-5, ACC)
11. Kentucky (19-2, SEC)
12. Kansas State (21-2, Big 12)
13. North Carolina (20-4, ACC)
14. NC State (18-4, ACC)
15. Oklahoma (16-6, SEC)
16. Maryland (17-5, Big Ten)
17. Georgia Tech (18-4, ACC)
18. West Virginia (17-4, Big 12)
19. Tennessee (16-5, SEC)
20. Michigan State (18-4, Big Ten)
21. California (19-4, ACC)
22. Florida State (18-4, ACC)
23. Alabama (18-5, SEC)
24. Vanderbilt (18-5, SEC)
25. Oklahoma State (18-4, Big 12)

The NWSL is officially pulling back the curtain, with Prime Video green-lighting For the Win: NWSL, a new docuseries centered on the league's 2024 playoffs and Orlando's victorious NWSL Championship run.

According to the league's Tuesday announcement, the four-part series offers "unprecedented access" by taking viewers inside "one of the most thrilling seasons in NWSL history."

It "[covers] the intensity, resilience, and passion that define the league’s top teams and star players as they battle for the ultimate prize: the Championship trophy."

"Through exclusive interviews, locker-room access, and heart-pounding match highlights, the documentary captures the nostalgia, emotion, and fierce competition that shapes a playoff run within the fastest growing league in the world."

The series promises coverage of retiring USWNT icon Alex Morgan, newly minted Orlando champion and Brazilian legend Marta, as well as Washington Spirit stars Trinity Rodman and reigning NWSL Rookie and Midfielder of the Year Croix Bethune.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

For the Win: NWSL joins wave of women's soccer documentaries

Women's soccer has been entering the realm of sports documentaries for years, with behind-the-scenes looks into the USWNT, the NWSL's Angel City FC, WSL side Chelsea FC, and more popping up on screens worldwide.

The latest offering of For the Win: NWSL comes backed by sports stars, with a producing team helmed by Connor Schell and Libby Geist of Words + Pictures as well as the aforementioned Morgan and Gotham FC investor and NFL legend Eli Manning.

While no premier date has been set, the series will stream exclusively in over 240 countries and territories on Prime Video, which also serves as one of the NWSL's broadcast partners.

Prime is also gearing up to kick off the upcoming NWSL season by exclusively airing the 2025 Challenge Cup on March 7th. That contest boasts a rematch of the 2024 championship game between the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit.

The streamer will then begin their 25-match Friday night regular-season run when the Pride hosts the rebranded Chicago Stars FC on March 14th.

Ex-Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales is officially on​ trial for forcibly kissing striker Jenni Hermoso during the 2023 World Cup trophy ceremony, with Hermoso taking the stand on Monday.

"I felt disrespected," Hermoso told the Spanish court. "I think it was a moment that stained one of the happiest days of my life."

"My boss was kissing me, and this shouldn't happen in any social or work setting."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Hermoso describes coercion efforts by Rubiales during trial

Though he denies the charges, Rubiales is on trial for sexual assault as well as for attempting to coerce Hermoso into telling the public that the kiss was consensual.

"I didn't hear or understand anything," Hermoso said about the moment Rubiales assaulted her. "The next thing he did was to grab me by the ears and kiss me on the mouth."

Hermoso testified that Rubiales asked her to record a social media video with him on the flight home from Australia to essentially exonerate him in the public eye.

"I said no," Hermoso told the court. "I was not going to do anything, that I was not the cause of this."

Three other men, including the team's former head coach Jorge Vilda, are also on trial for their attempts to force Hermoso into publicly supporting Rubiales in the incident's aftermath.

The trial is expected to last 10 days, with other high-profile witnesses — including some of Hermoso's World Cup teammates — scheduled to take the stand.

Rubiales faces possible prison time

According to Spanish law, Rubiales faces up to four years in prison if convicted for both charges.

That said, prosecutors are pushing for a sentence of two-and-a-half years (one for the assault and one-and-a-half for coercion). They are also asking the court for €50,000 in damages and a permanent ban on Rubiales from ever serving as a sports official again.

Intense pressure forced Rubiales to resign as the federation's president three weeks after the assault, and he's currently serving a FIFA-imposed three-year ban from soccer that is set to expire in 2026.

Notably, Spanish law has an often-employed buy-out clause for convicted criminals with sentences under two years, meaning Rubiales could avoid incarceration by paying increased damages if the court hands him a sentence of less than 24 months.

As for Hermoso, she explained to the court that public attention from the incident has deeply impacted her life. While her tenure with Liga MX side Tigres allows her an escape from the Spanish media when she's in Mexico, that respite dissipates whenever she returns to Spain.

"I have not been able to really live freely," she told the court on Monday.