Carlos Alcaraz marched into the Rome Open semi-finals with ruthless efficiency while Aryna Sabalenka’s title dream died a brutal death at the hands of Zheng Qinwen — who ended a seven-match losing streak in cold blood.

 Rome turned into a colosseum of tennis carnage on Wednesday — and Carlos Alcaraz emerged as the young emperor.

The Spaniard, still only 21, dismembered Britain’s Jack Draper 6-4, 6-4 in a gladiatorial quarter-final showdown at the Foro Italico, slicing through resistance with surgical precision and advancing to his first-ever semi-final in Rome.

“I lost focus for a minute,” Alcaraz admitted, “but then I locked in — and stayed there.” The statement may have sounded humble, but the performance screamed domination.

Draper struck first, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the opening set. But Alcaraz responded like a man scorned — breaking back, ramping up the aggression, and sealing the first set with a ruthless edge. In the second, he broke Draper to love at 4-4 and then calmly served out the match like a seasoned executioner. Cold. Clinical. Commanding.

That win not only books Alcaraz a high-voltage semi-final with home hero Lorenzo Musetti, but it also yanks him back to No. 2 in the ATP rankings — snatching the spot from the man Musetti just annihilated: Alexander Zverev.

The German’s title defence imploded spectacularly under the lights. Musetti, possessed by the Roman crowd’s roars, saved four set points and then obliterated Zverev 7-1 in the tiebreak. The Italian then broke late in the second with a screaming backhand that ripped through Zverev’s composure. Game. Set. Dethroned.

“I felt the adrenaline from the first point,” said Musetti, glowing like a man reborn.

The drama on the women’s side delivered no less bloodshed.

Aryna Sabalenka, the tournament’s No. 2 seed and a staple of clay-court dominance, suffered a devastating takedown at the hands of Zheng Qinwen. In six previous meetings, Zheng had never even won a set. This time, she destroyed the Belarusian in straight sets: 6-4, 6-3. And she never flinched.

Zheng took control midway through the first set and refused to give it back. She broke Sabalenka early in the second and locked the gates. The Belarusian never saw a single break point opportunity as Zheng — cool, lethal, unshakable — roared into her first semi-final of 2025.

“It feels amazing,” Zheng said, barely breaking a smile. “I’ve worked hard. I’ve suffered. But now I’m healthy — and I’m ready to win.”

Next up for her? Coco Gauff, the 21-year-old American who beat Mirra Andreeva 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) and claimed the No. 2 spot in the WTA rankings in the process. Gauff hasn’t lifted a trophy yet this year, but the hunger is burning, and her all-court grit might just make her Rome’s last woman standing.

“I’m taking it one match at a time,” Gauff said, her tone cool, her confidence unmistakable. She already owns a 2-0 record against Zheng — and she’s eyeing the third win like a sniper.

Elsewhere, on the men’s side, Casper Ruud continued his hot streak post-Madrid with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 win over Jaume Munar. But now the Norwegian must face Jannik Sinner, the top seed, the home favourite, the man many believe is destined for Roman glory.

With every match sharpening the blades of rivalries and raising the stakes, Rome has become a battlefield. The weak are falling. The fearless are rising. And Alcaraz — young, ruthless, and reborn — might just be ready to rule it all