Did Roger Federer just say this year could be it for the Big 3’s domination? Speaking yesterday in Rome, Federer seemed to say that the young guys will have this to gain more experience, then next year they will make their move.

“The young guys are pushing through nicely the last year,” Federer said. “You look at the move that Tsitsipas has done, or Medvedev or Khachanov, Felix, Denis, so forth. …

As the rain pounds down in Rome, Roger Federer said yesterday that one of the reasons he added Rome to his schedule was the weather! Whoops!

Federer, who’s had a history of back issues in the cold, said that staying and practicing in Switzerland would have been tough due to the bad weather back home.

“I felt like playing somewhat maybe more sea level conditions would be good for me,” Federer …

From 5-2 up in the third set against Victoria Azarenka, Elina Svitolina somehow couldn’t must another game, missing two match points and dropping five straight games to lose 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 in rainy Rome second round encounter.

Svitolina was the 2-time defending champion who had won her last 10 matches in Rome, but now had lost her last four matches on the tour since beating Marketa Vondrousova at Indian Wells. Though …

Things are continued to spiral downward for Alexander Zverev. The German who won Rome in 2017 and made the finals a year ago, was bounced in his first match by home favorite Matteo Berrettini in straight sets 7-5, 7-5.

The 23-year-old Berrettini was no slouch after winning Budapest and Munich back-to-back in the last month. This was his first Top 10 win and it thrilled his Italian crowd.

Zverev will drop out …

Just 24 hours before a much-anticipated showdown with sister Venus, Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Italian Open in Rome due to continued left knee issues.

“I must withdraw from the Italian Open due to pain in my left knee,” Serena said. “I will miss the fans and competition at one of my favorite tournaments.

“I’ll be concentrating on rehab and look forward to seeing you all at the French Open and …

Under new coach Nicolas Massu, Dominic Thiem has caught fire taking his first Masters title at Indian Wells over Roger Federer, then last month beating Rafael Nadal again on the clay. And last week he beat Federer again in Madrid.

So what’s Massu brought to the table for the Austrian?

“I think that my game got more unpredictable,” Thiem said of the Chilean’s influence. “That’s one big part. I …

Despite failing to win a title entering Rome for the first time since forever, Rafael Nadal is worried about where his game is at, that he made clear yesterday speaking in front of the media in Italy.

“I feel good,” Nadal said. “Is true that I didn’t win a title, but is true that my feeling is, for example, maybe in 2015 I won Buenos Aires, I think, but the feeling …

The young Canadians had a mixed day in Rome on Monday as Denis Shapovalov scored a terrific win beating Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 7-6(5); however, his friend and countryman Felix Auger-Aliassime fell to Borna 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4.

In the evening Fabio Fognini thrilled the home crowd crushing former Top 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4.

““To play first round against Jo – really tough match, because of course he was injured. He …

In one of her craziest matches of her long career, Venus Williams needed a total of nine match points to finally beat a pesky Elise Mertens 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(4) to reach the Rome second round where she will face sister Serena on Wednesday.

Seemingly in control, the 38-year-old Venus led in the third 5-1 then serving for it at 5-2 she blew six match points, a few off double faults. Mertens …

The final tune-up before the French Open is already underway (for some reason) in Rome where virtually the same field as we saw in Madrid is assembled (just replace a few Spaniards with Italians!).

Eight-time champ Rafael Nadal is again the favorite despite still searching for his first title of any kind this season. Madrid winner Novak Djokovic has won Rome four times and 2017 titlist Alexander Zverev is also …

After a 3-month drought, Novak Djokovic got back in the win column with a thorough 6-3, 6-4 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Madrid final on Sunday.

Djokovic didn’t drop a set en route to his record-equaling 33rd title at the Masters level and today’s win marked his 200th against a Top 10 player, avenging a loss to the Greek in Canada last summer

“These are the best tournaments, biggest tournaments we …

Serena Williams makes here return to tennis this upcoming week in Rome where she has been victorious four times. But the World No. 11 is joined by nine of the Top 10 including 2-time defending Elina Svitolina.

In the last big stop before the French Open, the loaded field also features eight former No. 1s and seven players who have made the finals, though only Svitolina and Serena are the only …

Stefanos Tsitsipas did it again, beating a big name on a big stage in a big match. Having never won a set before against Rafael Nadal (0-7), Tsitsipas had a shot against the Spaniard on his home soil and on his favorite surface. And he took it beating the 5-time tournament champion 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to reach his biggest career clay final, second at the Masters level.

“It means the world. …

After year after failing in this very final, Kiki Bertens picked up the biggest title of her career Sunday in Madrid beating Simona Halep 6-4, 6-4.

Bertens won the title, her 9th, without losing a single set, and along the way she beat Petra Kvitova, Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko.

“I’m just really happy,” Bertens said. “I think after every title you feel something, of course. Sometimes it’s a lot …

In a social media post earlier today, Roger Federer confirmed his participation in Rome.

“So I just finished speaking to the team. And I’m happy to say I’m coming back to Rome to play in Italy. Can’t wait, so exciting, it’s been too long.”

A 4-time Rome finalist, he’s never won the title there. The last time he played was a 2016 loss to Dominic Thiem.

Seeded third, Federer will face either Tiafoe/Sousa, …