Naomi Osaka’s return to top-level tennis hit another stumbling block on Monday as she was eliminated from the Italian Open by American Peyton Stearns in a closely fought 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) battle. The match, lasting nearly three hours under the scorching Roman sun, ended Osaka’s campaign in the tournament’s third round.
Stearns, who had already knocked out fifth seed Madison Keys, added another high-profile scalp to her growing list by defeating the former world number one. She now advances to the quarter-finals, where she will face either Danielle Collins—fresh off her win over reigning champion Iga Swiatek—or Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, has struggled to regain her form since returning from a 15-month maternity break. Although she secured a minor victory at a lower-tier event in Saint-Malo, France, earlier this month, she has yet to make a significant impact at the top-tier WTA 1000 tournaments. Her most recent strong showing came in January when she reached the Auckland final, but she has since suffered early exits in Indian Wells, Madrid, and now Rome.
Her comeback has also been hindered by an abdominal injury that forced her to miss the Australian Open.
Meanwhile, in the men’s draw, world number one Jannik Sinner continues his quest for a maiden title in Rome. He faces Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong in front of a passionate home crowd. No Italian man has claimed the Rome crown since Adriano Panatta in 1976, and Sinner’s form is under close watch ahead of the upcoming French Open.
On the women’s side, Italy’s Jasmine Paolini advanced to the quarter-finals with a convincing 7-5, 6-2 win over Jelena Ostapenko. The sixth seed will next face Diana Shnaider as she eyes another deep run at a WTA 1000 tournament, having reached the semi-finals in Miami earlier this year before falling to Aryna Sabalenka.
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