World No. 155 to double his prize money after causing huge Italian Open upset | Tennis | Sport

Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino has caused one of the biggest upsets of the Italian Open so far, taking out 20th seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6(8) 6-1. to reach the fourth round. The world No. 155 came through qualifying to make his main-draw debut at Masters 1000 level, and is now through to the last 16.

Pellegrino has now more than doubled his prize money earnings for 2026. So far this year, he had banked £72,470 ($98,632). And he is guaranteed a £79,993 (€92,470) prize cheque for reaching the fourth round in Rome.

The 29-year-old qualifier is also expected to return to the world’s top 130, closing in on his career-high ranking of No. 125. Pellegrino beat countryman Luca Nardi on his Masters 1000 main draw debut, and then faced 15th seed and recent Barcelona Open champion Arthur Fils in round two.

But Fils had to retire while trailing Pellegrino 0-4 in the opening set, later explaining that he felt something in his hip and didn’t want to take any risks with the French Open looming. It allowed the world No. 155 to progress to the third round – and he’s made the most of it.

Pellegrino started strong when he broke Tiafoe twice to lead 4-0, but the American came storming back. The qualifier couldn’t convert two set points when Tiafoe served at 3-5, and they went to a tiebreak.

Set points came and went for both players, but it was the home hope who eventually took the tiebreak 10-8. He carried that momentum straight into set two and only lose one more game, breaking twice more before sending himself into the last 16.

The 29-year-old dropped to the ground in disbelief, before Tiafoe came around to hug Pellegrino and congratulate him on his victory. This is the second-biggest win of Pellegrino’s career – he beat then-No. 19 Felix Auger-Aliassime at a Challenger last summer – but no doubt one of the most emotional.

“It’s amazing. I didn’t expect, when I came here, at the beginning of the tournament, I didn’t expect to reach these kinds of rounds, but I’m very happy about my game. I played five matches and really good level, so I’m so happy,” Pellegrino said immediately after reaching the fourth round on his Masters debut.

“I mean, I come from a tough period, I got injured on my back last month, I didn’t play a few tournaments. I missed Monte Carlo, these tournaments, and to be here in Rome, it’s really special for me and reach fourth round in main draw, it’s something special.

“I started very well. At the beginning, I was playing very good. He wasn’t, I think, but then I started to think about… I was up and I became a bit tight, and his level goes up, and the match was not easy because of the wind, also. The conditions were not easy, but I was there every point, fighting every point, and I’m very happy about that.”

Pellegrino could now play the biggest match of his career, as he awaits the winner of a clash between world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Alexei Popyrin. If it is countryman Sinner, it won’t be their first meeting. The four-time Major champion beat Pellegrino 6-1 6-1 in a Futures final in 2019.

“Yeah, yeah, of course I remember that. I think I won two or three games in the final!” the qualifier grinned. “He has to play, I think, no? So if I’m going to play with him, it’s going to be, of course, a really good match, good experience for me. Maybe we play on Centre, where I never played, but I’m very happy.”

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