Coco Gauff is set for a challenging path at the 2026 Italian Open as the WTA Tour's European clay swing continues.
Kicking off May 5th, the Italian Open serves as one of the final WTA 1000 events before the French Open. Nearly every top-ranked looks to build momentum in Rome, as the second Grand Slam of the season approaches.
Gauff lands in Italy coming off a difficult 2026 Madrid Open run. There, she was impacted by a stomach virus that spread through the locker room, eventually falling to Linda Noskova in the Round of 16.
Now ranked No. 4 in the world on a 19-8 season record, Gauff is searching for her first title of 2026.
As the Italian Open's No. 3 seed, Gauff receives a first-round bye. She'll next face either Tereza Valentova or Yulia Putintseva — players she's previously handled easily.
From there, however, her path becomes more rigorous.
Potential quarterfinal matchups include threats like Mirra Andreeva, Jasmine Paolini, and Elise Mertens, with additional contenders possible.
If she advances farther, a semifinal clash with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka could be looming. The pair's head-to-head has historically been tightly contested, producing a 6-7 record.
And if Gauff reaches the final, she could face the opposite side of the draw's fiercest contenders. That lineup could include No. 4 seed Iga Świątek or No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina.
While Gauff has proven she can work deep on clay — having reached the 2025 Italian Open final — this year's tournament could present an exceptionally difficult path to glory.
How to Watch Coco Gauff at the Italian Open 2026
The Italian Open runs through May 17th, live on the Tennis Channel.
Lindsey Vonn, A'ja Wilson, Venus Williams, and Eileen Gu were among the many top athletes turning heads with 2026 Met Gala looks on Monday night.
Held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Met Gala stands as one of the year's biggest nights for fashion, art, and culture.
Williams helped lead the night as co-chair, alongside Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Anna Wintour. The seven-time Grand Slam champion wore a black gown inspired by her portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. She paired it with a neck piece reminiscent of Wimbledon’s “Venue Rosewater dish” trophy.
The WNBA also had a strong presence.
Wilson — along with Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers — delivered some of the most talked-about Met Gala looks of the night. Wilson sported a gold off-the-shoulder gown with flowing sleeves, set ablaze by a slicked-back, golden-blonde hairstyle.
For Vonn, the night brought an especially significant moment.
In one of her first public appearances since her 2026 Winter Olympics crash, the decorated US skier arrived wearing a Thom Browne gown. Vonn also walked in without her crutches, marking a recovery milestone just three months after her injury.
Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu wore a glass bubble dress that weighed 30 pounds. Additionally, her look was complete with a bubble machine that trailed behind her.
"I lift weights, don't worry. I'm good," Gu told USA TODAY, explaining her Met Gala look with a laugh.
"There's a sense of whimsy. You can't help but poke and play with them. I like bringing that sense of fun wherever I go."
The Carlisle Arizona Women's Golf Classic is underway, and Malia Nam holds the early lead after a strong opening round on the Epson Tour.
Nam set the pace at TPC Scottsdale, opening her round with a birdie on the par-3 12th. She followed it with an eagle on No. 13, as the quick start helped push her to the top the leaderboard.
"I mean the back nine was my front nine today so that birdie eagle was a really cool start," Nam said. "But I think the four birdies really showed that I was kind of locked in and you know just stuck to playing well."
For Nam, locking in paid off.
"Today I had some putts drop," she added. "I've been hitting the ball really well the last few weeks just kind of haven't put together a good score. Today I stuck to game plan with hitting fairways and hitting greens but just had some puts fall for me."
Nam stood out in a competitive field featuring LPGA hopefuls like Kaleiya Romero, Megan Schofill, and Valery Plata. Professional developmental circuit events like these serve as an opportunity for players to earn full LPGA Tour status.
The Carlisle Arizona Women's Golf Classic sands one of the Epson Tour schedule's most significant stops. The tournament features a $400,000 purse — the largest in tour history. The winner additionally walks with $60,000 and 500 Race for the Card points.
Nam joined the Epson Tour in 2024 and is still seeking her first professional win. This makes her position atop the leaderboard especially notable.
Where to Watch the 2026 Carlisle Arizona Women's Golf Classic
Lan tees off Friday morning with three rounds left to play, as focus shifts to maintaining her form.
Fans can follow along with live scoring via the tournament's leaderboard.
Hailey Baptiste produced the biggest win of her career on Tuesday, stunning world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) in 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach the Madrid Open 2026 semifinals.
And she had to survive six match points to do it.
The 24-year-old US star had a slow start as Sabalenka took the opening set. However, the match shifted when Baptiste started mixing in more variety — using drop shots, net approaches, and changes of pace to pull Sabalenka out of rhythm.
By the third set, it had become a back-and-forth battle.
Serving to survive multiple times, Baptiste continued to respond. At 6-5 in the deciding tiebreak, she erased another match point. She later won the next three points and converted her lone match point to complete the Sabalenka upset.
"I wouldn't say that I'm necessarily working on hitting balls outside the alley," Baptiste said postmatch. "But I actually really enjoy being in those positions, because I feel like I can create shots there. I was able to do it in a really big moment."
That type of improvisation helped change the match.
The lost ended Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak while marking Baptiste's first career victory over a top-ranked WTA opponent. It also sends Baptiste into the first WTA 1000 semifinal of her career.
Baptiste is coming off a promising season start. She managed to push Sabalenka at the 2026 Miami Open before ultimately losing, saying that previous match helped shape her approach this time.
"I had a better idea of how to play her, and how I should play," Baptiste said in Madrid. "So I think I just went in trying to play my game, still doing the same things that I've been doing. But I had a few adjustments I needed to make from the last time we played.”
How to Watch Hailey Baptiste at the Madrid Open 2026 Semifinals
Now Baptiste moves on to face another Top 10 opponent: Mirra Andreeva.
The Madrid Open semifinals kick off on Thursday at 10 AM ET, live on The Tennis Channel.
Mirra Andreeva is heading to the Madrid Open 2026 semifinals after passing one of her toughest tests of the tournaments against Leylah Fernandez.
Andreeva earned a 7-6(1), 6-3 quarterfinal win on Tuesday, saving three set points in the opening set to improve to 2-1 in the pair's all-time head-to-head record.
The win also sends the world No. 8 into her first Madrid Open semifinal — one day before her 19th birthday.
"I'm extremely happy about the way I played and the result," Andreeva said. "It wouldn't be a perfect birthday if I would lose today. I really didn't want that to happen, and I was trying to give everything I had to be in a good mood tomorrow."
After needing all three sets to get past Hungary's Anna Bondar on Monday, Andreeva appeared more in control during her quarterfinal.
Fernandez pushed Andreeva hard in the first set and had three chances to take it. However, Andreeva held firm, dominated the tiebreak before taking control in the second.
Afterward, she discussed improvements she's made since first turning pro in 2022.
"I feel like I'm still the same Mirra," she said, joking that the biggest difference might be appreciating more alone time.
"Now all I want to do is come back to the room and be alone," she said. "Other than that, I feel like I'm still the same Mirra."
However, her growth on court has been obvious.
This marks Andreeva's first Madrid Open semifinal, indicating how quickly she's developing into a major tournament threat.
How to Watch Mirra Andreeva at the 2026 Madrid Open
Andreeva now advances to face either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or No. 32 Hailey Baptiste in Thursday's semifinals.
2026 Madrid Open coverage continues through May 2nd, live on The Tennis Channel.
Aryna Sabalenka looked close to a Madrid Open exit, before flipping the script to defeat Japanese fan favorite Naomi Osaka in the fourth round.
The world No. 1 rallied from a set down to oust Osaka 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-2 in 2 hours, 20 minutes.
However, for much of the first hour, Osaka looked in control.
She took the opening set in a dominant tiebreak and pressured Sabalenka early in the second as the two traded heavy baseline exchanges.
"I think I just dropped my level at the end of the first set and gave her that tiebreak quite easily," Sabalenka said in her on-court interview.
From there, the match shifted.
Sabalenka settled into longer rallies, improved her depth, and began attacking Osaka's second serve. Once she leveled the match, she carried that momentum into the third set.
Playing some of her strongest tennis in months, Osaka pushed the Belarusian in ways few opponents have this season.
"Oh my God, that was incredible level," Sabalenka said afterwards. "She played incredible tennis. I feel like I just got lucky in a couple shots in the third set, that's why it went that fast."
How to Watch Aryna Sabalenka at the 2026 Madrid Open
The win marked Sabalenka's 15th straight victory, building momentum as she chases a fourth Madrid title.
"Overall I'm happy with my performance," she said. "When someone put me under pressure, I was able to pull out really incredible shots and incredible tennis. So I'm happy. I'm happy that she actually brought that fight, just so I could fight through it, I could struggle a little bit, and find a solution in the match."
Sabalenka now faces No. 32 Hailey Baptiste in Tuesday's Madrid Open quarterfinal, live on The Tennis Channel.
A stomach virus tearing through the 2026 Madrid Open locker room claimed another victim Monday, when Coco Gauff fell to Linda Noskova 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 in the Round of 16.
Gauff battled illness just 24 hours earlier during her third-round victory over Sorana Cirstea, vomiting on court before rallying to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. The world No. 3 took a medical timeout during that match after throwing up into a courtside bin.
"I don't know how I got it done," Gauff said after defeating Cirstea. "Just dealing with a lot of trying to keep my food down. I think I got the Madrid stomach virus that's going around."
The illness forced several high-profile withdrawals at this year's Madrid Open. No. 4 Iga Świątek retired mid-match against Ann Li in the third round Saturday, citing "zero stability and zero energy." Liudmila Samsonova withdrew before facing Noskova in the third round Sunday, handing the Czech player a walkover into the Round of 16.
Madison Keys also withdrew from the tournament due to illness.
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka appears to have avoided the virus. The defending champion rallied from a set down to defeat Japan's Naomi Osaka 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-2 in Monday's Round of 16.
Gauff withdrew from her doubles match Sunday to preserve energy for her singles clash with Noskova. Despite holding a 2-0 career record against the 13th seed, Gauff couldn't overcome the physical toll from her illness. She lost the third-set tiebreak after splitting the first two sets.
How to Watch the Madrid Open 2026
The Madrid Open runs through Saturday on Tennis Channel.
Madison Keys made headlines after withdrawing from the 2026 Madrid Open due to illness. She exited just before her opening match on Friday.
Keys was scheduled to begin her campaign in the second round against Zhang Shuai. However, she was replaced by Anastasia Potapova. The lucky loser went on to defeat Shuai 6-3, 6-1.
"It was actually unexpected because I've been waiting for three days before and nothing happened," Potapova of her win. "I didn't really prepare myself to play a match."
The withdrawal marks a setback for world No. 17 Keys at an important point in the clay season. The Madrid Open stands as one of the WTA Tour's key tune-up tournaments ahead of the 2026 French Open.
Keys is coming off a steady stretch that reinforces her place among the tennis world's top contenders. Her withdrawal subsequently adds to a growing list of absences impacting this year's Madrid draw. Amanda Anisimova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Clara Tauson also pulled out.
While the illness was not described as long term, the timing shifts attention toward whether Keys can reset in time for the next major clay event — including next week's 2026 Italian Open.
For now, Madison Keys leaves the Madrid Open without hitting a ball in the main draw, postponing her 2026 red-clay debut.
Now, the focus shifts to recovery — and whether Keys can return in time to regain momentum heading into the heart of clay season.
Alexandra Eala saw her Madrid Open 2026 run end in the second round, falling to No. 19 Elise Mertens after a competitive showing on clay.
Eala lost 2-6, 1-6 to the Belgian veteran, ending a promising week in Madrid after opening the tournament with a straight-set win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Despite the scoreline, the 20-year-old showed strength via extended baseline rallies against one of the tour's steadiest players. Mertens, however, answered back with experience in key moments, capitalizing on break opportunities to control both sets.
Eala stayed within reach early in the opener, but struggled to gain traction on return. One major difference came on serve. Eala won 53% of her first-serve points, while Mertens won 93% — and that gap shaped the match.
The result came after Eala entered the match carrying momentum after her 6-3, 6-3 first-round victory over Pavlyuchenkova. In that match, she landed 68% of her first serves and won 76% of those points, numbers that underscored her control.
The defeat also offered another test against top-ranked competition, as Eala's own WTA ranking continues to rise.
While her Madrid Open run ended in today's Round of 64, Eala's broader takeaway remains encouraging.
What's Next for Alexandra Eala After 2026 Madrid Open Exit
Eala will likely continue along the WTA's clay swing, heading to Rome for the 2026 Italian Open ahead of May's highly anticipated Grand Slam in Paris.
Nelly Korda is entering this week's 2026 Chevron Championship armed with strong form and a clear perspective on who helped shape her path to the top of the world golf rankings.
Ahead of the LPGA's first major of the season, Korda first pointed to her sister, Jessica Korda, as her earliest role model.
“My sister. Always," Korda said. “Yeah, I looked up to her from a really young age. I admired her. I wanted to be here since she joined the tour in 2011."
Korda also highlighted Tiger Woods as a defining influence on her generation.
“Obviously Tiger Woods, because my sister always says like, our generation — that’s kind of like Tiger’s kids," she said. “We watched him dominate the game at that time. I would say those two in golf, yeah.”
Her inspirations additionally extend beyond the green. Korda has previously praised tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, admiring Federer's composure and Nadal's competitive intensity — traits that mirror her own approach on the course.
Heading into the Chevron Championship, Korda also reflected on the realities of competing at the highest level and how quickly emotions can become public. She cited US tennis star Coco Gauff's 2026 Australian Open racket-smashing incident as an example of how closely athletes are watched.
"The thing that's different about athletes versus someone that's not is sometimes we're under a microscope, so you see everything," Korda said. “Coco Gauff, she was slamming her tennis racket. She thought it was in private, and you have video cameras there."
Korda continues to draw inspiration from athletes who came before her, while also navigating expectations that come with being one of the sport's top players.
How to Watch Nelly Korda at the 2026 Chevron Championship
As the Houston tournament gets underway, Korda enters the week with refreshed perspective and momentum, looking to secure her third LPGA major title.
The Chevron Championship runs through Sunday, April 26th, with live coverage on The Golf Channel.