It’s been a spectacular week at Foro Italico, featuring everything from the ATP/WTA 1000 events to the Tennis Europe 16 & Under Super Category tournament.
The event offers young players a fantastic opportunity: training and competing on the same courts as the professionals, getting a glimpse into their world and finding fresh motivation to work even harder to reach that level one day. In addition to matches at the iconic Foro Italico, some matches were also held on a specially prepared court at the historic Piazza del Popolo - an unforgettable setting made possible by the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP).
This marks the second consecutive year the Junior Tour event has taken place alongside the Italian Open. After the great success of its first edition, the tournament was upgraded from Category 1 to Super Category.
Singles
Both the boys' and girls' draws delivered plenty of surprises, with Italian players upsetting several top seeds, fueled by the support of the home crowd and the pride of competing on Italian soil.
The boys' final was an all-Polish showdown between Jan Urbanski and Jan Skrzynski. Urbanski entered as the favorite, having led 3–0 in their previous TEJT encounters. However, Skrzynski had a phenomenal week in Rome and sustained his high level through to the very end.
In the girls' draw, Felitsata Dorofeeva-Rybas dominated the field, without losing more than six games in any match. In the final, she overpowered second seed Oliwia Sybicka, taking control early and maintaining it throughout the match.
Doubles
Forza Italia thanks to Bianca Bissolotti and Martina Cerbo. Facing first seeds Tea Kovacevic (BIH) and Maria Pop (ROU), the Italians saved two match points at 2-6 4-5, turned the match around and lifted the trophies after an intense match tiebreak.
Meanwhile, Spaniards Toni Escarda and Ian Barroeta didn’t allow their Italian opponents Michele Maniglia and Massimiliano Fucile take the trophies home, and emerged victorious 7-5 7-6(3).
ELSEWHERE ON THE TEJT
Bucharest (ROU) | Dr Oetker Jr Trophy | 14&U Cat1
Moritz Freitag (AUT) backed up his Cat1 win in Rakovnik with another big title this week. He had taken out Luys Calin (GER) in his semifinal in that event and this time in Romania outdid the German again, winning his second title of the year with a commanding 6-1 6-1 win. The girls’ final saw Arina Fomina win an incredible fourth TEJT title of 2025. She was too strong for tenth-seeded Croat Korana Barisic earning the trophy with a 6-4 6-0 victory.
Belgians dominated in the doubles events. The boys’ doubles champs were Lionel Hermans (BEL) & Arthur Salafa (FRA), while it was an all-Belgian affair for the girls’ champs, with Noor Ceulemans & Hannelore Daniels lifting the trophy.
Hradek Nad Nisou (CZE) | 20th Euroregion Nisa Cup | 16&U Cat3
It was a Czech whitewash in both singles finals with all four finalists hailing from the home nation: Matej Novak defeated Philippe Jourden 7-5 7-6 in the boys’ decider for his first singles title of the year, while the girls’ championship match was won by Beata Maresova over Karolina Stochlova 7-5 6-1. With this win, Maresova collects her first 16&U title, adding to the three 14&U she has already amassed this year.
Yerevan (ARM) | Roza Prudnika Memorial Cup | 12&U Cat2
Tunisian Hedi Ksouri has now won his fourth singles title on the TEJT, by defeating Mateo Dzutsev 6-1 6-1 in the final. Meanwhile the girls’ final saw Evangelina Shingaleeve allow Taisiia Ermakova even fewer games than in the boys’ final, winning 6-0 6-1 for her second title overall on the TEJT.
ITALIANS RIGHT AT HOME IN ROME
Rome ATP/WTA 1000:
- “It’s incredible to have this trophy in my hands. Thanks to those who have always supported me in the good in the bad! I don’t know what to say… it’s a dream for me. I remember being a kid and watching this tournament and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would win it.” Those were the emotional words of Jasmine Paolini after her singles final win and a fantastic two weeks on home soil, making both the singles and doubles finals. Yesterday, she was too strong for a tired, error-prone and seemingly dejected former TEJT #1 Coco Gauff, taking the biggest win of her career, poetically, at the colosseum of Italian tennis at the Foro Italico with a 6-4 6-1 win.
- Today’s doubles final saw Paolini and Sara Errani defeat Elise Mertens (BEL) & Veronika Kudermetova. Coming back from 0-4 down in both sets, the Italians dug deep to claim both sets, taking the match and the title 6-4 7-5.
- Paolini has become the first Italian woman in 40 years to win the title and first Italian finalist since her doubles partner Errani made the 2014 final, falling to Serena Williams.
- Upon his return from a three-month suspension, local favourite Jannik Sinner had a fantastic run to the final. He reignited his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz, but it wasn’t to be for Sinner as the Spaniard took the match and the title 7-6(5) 6-1. In his post-match interview, Alcaraz was beaming, “I’m really happy with my win in Rome. Hopefully it’s not going to be the last one. It was very difficult with the injury, so that makes it quite special.”
- The men’s doubles title went to Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) & Mate Pavic (CRO) who posted a thrilling 6-4 6-7(8) 13-11 win over the French pair of Sadio Doumbia & Fabien Reboul.
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