Nicolás Jarry has reached the final of the Rome Open, becoming one of the
few Chilean tennis players to achieve this milestone, joining Fernando Gonzalez
and Marcelo Rios. Jarry will face 2017 champion Alexander Zverev in the final,
capping off a stellar few week of tennis.
Jarry's
success at Foro Italico has made history for Chile, as the country hasn't seen
a player in a Masters 1000 final since Fernando González at the 2007 Rome Open,
where he finished as the runner-up to an almost unbeatable Rafael Nadal on
clay.
Unforgettable week for Chileans
Jarry
arrived in Rome after three consecutive defeats on clay courts. However, he
quietly progressed through the tournament, defeating local players Matteo
Arnaldi and Stefano Napolitano before facing qualifier Alexandre Müller.
In the quarterfinals,
he faced a tough challenge against 6th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, the recent
champion of his third Monte-Carlo Masters. Jarry came from a set down to win
3-6, 7-5, 6-4. In his first Masters 1000 semi-final, he defeated Tommy Paul
6-3, 6-7, 6-3 and now will face Alexander Zverev for the title.
The German
defeated fellow Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the semi-finals. The left-hander
had eliminated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Russian Karen Khachanov (No. 18),
among others, to set up a clash with Zverev for his first final. Tabilo
dominated the first set, but the German showcased his experience and hierarchy
to make a strong comeback and advance with a 1-6, 7-6, 6-2 victory.
Jarry secured his highest-ever ranking as World No. 17. If he wins the title, he will rise to No. 15.
Despite the
defeat, Chile had never had two representatives in the semi-finals of a Masters
1000 tournament.
“Yeah, to have two players in the Masters 1000 semis a big deal for us. Hopefully everybody can enjoy this moment. I think more moments will come,” Jarry said about Tabilo's run at Rome.
Jarry writes his name among Chile's tennis greats
The
"Tower from Santiago" will be only the third Chilean player to
compete in a Masters 1000 final, following in the footsteps of Fernando
González and former World No. 1 Marcelo Ríos, who remains the only Chilean to
have lifted a trophy in this category.
Fernando
González, a former World No. 5, won 11 singles titles on the ATP Tour and was
the runner-up at the 2007 Australian Open, where he lost to Roger Federer in
straight sets. González also secured bronze in singles and gold in doubles at
the 2004 Athens Olympics, in addition to a silver medal in singles at the 2008
Beijing Olympics.
"Stone
Hand" reached two Masters 1000 finals. First, on the hard courts of the
2006 Madrid Open, where he defeated the likes of Novak Djokovic and Tomas
Berdych but fell convincingly to Federer 7-5, 6-1, 6-0.
A year
later, in Rome, he defeated players such as compatriot Nicolás Massú, Juan
Ignacio Chela, and Filippo Volandri to reach the final, but once again fell
short, this time to Nadal 6-2, 6-2.
Marcelo
Ríos, a former World No. 1, boasts a better record, having played in seven
Masters 1000 finals and winning five titles between 1997 and 1999. The talented
ex-player reached the final of the Italian Open twice: losing in 1997 to Alex
Corretja, but winning in 1998 after a walkover from Albert Costa.
On clay,
Ríos was a champion at the Monte-Carlo Masters (1997), Italian Open (1998), and
German Open (1999). He is also one of the few players in history to achieve the
Sunshine Double, winning Indian Wells and Miami Open consecutively in 1998,
victories that propelled him to World No. 1.
Jarry seeks historic win
At 28,
Jarry is at the peak of his career after a remarkable 2023 that saw him rise
from outside the top-150 to finish the year as World No. 19. Despite some
inconsistencies at the beginning of 2024, Jarry has remained in the top-30
since first entering it in August last year.
“I think it’s pretty unreal for Chile. We are a very little country that has had very good success in tennis. It’s mainly I think, yeah, a bit of luck,” he said. “I think generation through generation, since we’ve been having good players, tennis is interesting for Chile – outside of football. Football is still the biggest.
This will be the 7th encounter between Zverev and Jarry.
On Sunday,
he will face World No. 5 Alexander Zverev in pursuit of history. Zverev leads
their head-to-head 4-2, although they are tied 2-2 on clay. They previously met
in a final at the 2019 Geneva Open, where Jarry squandered a match point, and
Zverev ultimately claimed the title.
If Jarry
wins on Sunday, he could become the first non-European or American Masters 1000
champion since Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro at the 2018 Indian Wells.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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