Iga Swiatek advanced to the Italian Open fourth round after a comprehensive victory over home favourite Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Swiatek, the world number three, defeated the Italian 6-1, 6-0 on the Italian Open Centre Court, setting up a clash with four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the fourth round.
Bizarrely, Swiatek and Osaka’s contest will take place on Court Two in Rome, despite the pair having won 10 Grand Slam titles between them.
Swiatek recently switched coaches, hiring Spaniard Francisco Roig. Swiatek will hope to return to title-winning form under Roig’s tutelage, following a barren start to her 2026 campaign.
How many Grand Slam titles will Iga Swiatek win with Francisco Roig as her coach?
She's signed one of the best coaches on tour!
The Pole has shown signs of recapturing her best form in Rome, and will hope to continue her impressive start when she plays Osaka on Monday.
Iga Swiatek joins Serena Williams and Chris Evert in exclusive Italian Open group
By defeating Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0, Iga Swiatek recorded her 10th 6-0 set victory over an opponent at the Italian Open.
As per OptaAce, Swiatek is now only the fourth player in the Open Era to claim 10 or more 6-0 sets at the Italian Open, along with Chris Evert (16), Gabriela Sabatini and Serena Williams.
Sabatini and Williams have both won 11 6-0 set victories. Evert, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, won a leading 16 6-0 sets at the Italian Open during her career.
Swiatek will have the opportunity to equal [or overtake] Sabatini and Williams against Naomi Osaka on Monday afternoon.
Swiatek has a 2-1 record against the Japanese star, last defeating Osaka in the Roland Garros second round, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5.
Should Swiatek advance past Osaka in Rome, she will play Jessica Pegula or Anastasia Potapova in the quarter-finals.
Italian Open round of 16 contests
- Sorana Cirstea vs Linda Noskova
- Anna Kalinskaya vs Jelena Ostapenko
- Coco Gauff vs Iva Jovic
- Elise Mertens vs Mirra Andreeva
- Jessica Pegula vs Anastasia Potapova
- Iga Świątek vs Naomi Osaka
- Elina Svitolina vs Nikola Bartunkova
- Karolina Pliskova vs Elena Rybakina
Iga Świątek previews her contest with Naomi Osaka
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be a tough match,” Swiatek told reporters in Rome after defeating Cocciaretto.
“She is playing better on clay, I would say. Two years ago I could feel that at Roland Garros.
“I’m going to prepare tactically, see how she plays now. We had a chance to practice in Madrid.
“When she has a good day, she feels the ball well, she’s a really tough opponent. I need to be ready to, yeah, not give anything for free, fight for every point.”
Osaka, the former world number one, has defeated Eva Lys and Diana Shnaider in Rome so far.
The Japanese star’s best performance in the Italian [to date] occurred in 2019, when she reached the quarter-finals.
Swiatek, meanwhile, is a three-time champion in Rome.
