What’s the Italian Open Schedule of Play for Saturday, May 16?
The ultimate crown is on the line at the Foro Italico as the 2026 Italian Open heads into Saturday, May 16, featuring the highly anticipated Women’s Singles Final. However, in a dramatic twist of events, Saturday’s schedule has become an absolute blockbuster. The skies opened up over Rome last night, leaving unfinished business on the clay and setting up a historic “Super Saturday” that fans will talk about for years to come.
Unfinished Business and Championship Saturday
Campo Centrale will be the undisputed epicenter of sports today. Before a champion can be crowned on the women’s side, a finalist must be decided on the men’s side. The blockbuster semifinal between World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and defending champion Daniil Medvedev (7) was abruptly suspended yesterday due to torrential rain.
Sinner currently leads the match 6-2, 5-7, 4-2, meaning players will step right back out onto the dirt with the Italian home-favorite just two games away from a monumental victory on home soil. Medvedev, known for his tactical resilience, will have spent the night formulating a strategy to immediately break back and shift the momentum when play resumes Not Before 3:00 PM.
Once the men’s finalist is determined, the grand finale of the women’s draw takes center stage Not Before 5:00 PM. World No. 3 Coco Gauff will battle the incredibly resurgent Elina Svitolina (7) for the prestigious Rome title. Gauff is aiming to secure another milestone WTA 1000 clay trophy to her resume, while Svitolina—a two-time champion in Rome—looks to reclaim her throne on the historic red courts she knows so well.
Title Deciders and Consolidation in the Doubles Draw
Before the singles drama unfolds, the home crowd will be in full voice at 1:00 PM as the beloved Italian pairing of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori (7) takes on Harrison/Skupski (4) in a high-stakes doubles match on Campo Centrale. Over on the SuperTennis Arena, world-class doubles tennis starts early at 12:00 PM with an elite clash between Krajicek/Mektic and the second seeds Granollers/Zeballos.
Technical Insight: The Post-Rain Factor
The rain delay from Friday night introduces a massive technical variable into today’s matches. When a clay court absorbs a large amount of water and is subsequently rolled and prepared by the grounds crew, the dirt behaves quite differently. The court will play significantly “heavier” and slower in the early afternoon, making it much harder to hit outright winners through the court.
For Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, hitting the ground running is imperative. Sinner will need to find his timing immediately to defend his 4-2 cushion, while Medvedev will benefit from the slower conditions, allowing his deep baseline defense to absorb Sinner’s pace. Later on, as the afternoon sun dries out the surface, the court will speed up just in time for the Gauff vs. Svitolina final. Gauff will look to use the extra bounce to make her kick-serve effective, while Svitolina will rely on her signature sliding defense to turn the match into a physical baseline war.
Official Order of Play – Saturday, May 16, 2026
The following tables outline the official schedule for finals day, including precise time conversions for fans following the action across the United States.
Campo Centrale
| Match | Local Time (Rome) | US East (ET) | US Central (CT) | US West (PT) |
| Bolelli/Vavassori (7) vs. Harrison/Skupski (4) | 1:00 PM | 07:00 AM | 06:00 AM | 04:00 AM |
| J. Sinner (1) vs. D. Medvedev (7) (To Resume: 6-2, 5-7, 4-2) | Not Before 3:00 PM | 09:00 AM | 08:00 AM | 06:00 AM |
| C. Gauff (3) vs. E. Svitolina (7) (Women’s Singles Final) | Not Before 5:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 08:00 AM |
SuperTennis Arena
| Match | Local Time (Rome) | US East (ET) | US Central (CT) | US West (PT) |
| Krajicek/Mektic vs. Granollers/Zeballos (2) | 12:00 PM | 06:00 AM | 05:00 AM | 03:00 AM |
| Hunter/Pegula vs. Andreeva/Shnaider | Not Before 1:00 PM | 07:00 AM | 06:00 AM | 04:00 AM |