Weekly Recap — Pro Tennis Around the Globe

What happened in pro tennis around the globe in the past week? Plenty. We can't cover it all here but a few key highlights follow below in order to catch you up on all the action... 

Swiatek Proves Dominance in Madrid Final Repeat

She's the #1 player in the world. And she clearly deserves it. Two weeks in a row, she has defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the finals to win two tournaments, Madrid and Rome. And only scraping by against Sabalenka a couple of weeks ago, on Saturday she swung right past her rival in a stunning 6-2, 6-3 win. All week, she defeated her opponents in straight sets, with very impressive wins against Americans Madison Keys and Coco Gauff, as well as very impressive wins against dangerous players like Bernarda Pera, Yulia Putintseva, and Angelique Kerber. In her final match, she served only 54% first serve, but won 74% of those points. She also won 66 points to Sabalenka's 45. Sabalenka also struggled on serve winning only 56% points on her first, and 45% on her second, letting the Pole break her four times throughout the battle. 

Above: Iga Swiatek. Photo: © On.

Zverev Back In the Winner's Circle

Just two years ago, Alexander Zverev was riding on a career high, ready for Roland Garros, a tournament he could have won. And then it happened----a heartbreaking injury which sent him home for almost a year. And we know it's been a tough road back. But the German has re-established himself as a top player with this very convincing win. His first four matches in Rome were easy, with his only real challenge against Taylor Fritz. But Zverev sent him packing with a 6-4, 6-3, win. His match against Alejandro Tabilo was a tough one, losing the first set 1-6. He just got by in a tiebreak in the second and won the third to boost him into the final against Nicolas Jarry. He won his final battle 6-4, 7-5, a very convincing win that shows other players that he is back and ready for more. He served a very impressive 80% on first, winning a stunning 95%, and a very solid 78% on second. His stellar serve stats were the major factor that won the match, and maybe, serving like that, he can have his eyes on that Roland Garros trophy once again. 

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Written by William Turvey. Top photo: Corinne Dubreuil / ATP Tour.