Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva, who recently met in the Madrid quarterfinals, are drawn into the same section of the Internazionali BNL d`Italia and could face each other again in the quarterfinal round.
The two youngest players in the Top 10, 21-year-old Gauff (No. 4 seed) and 18-year-old Andreeva (No. 7 seed), are seeded to meet in the last eight in Rome. Gauff defeated Andreeva 7-5, 6-1 in their Madrid quarterfinal match last week, improving her head-to-head record against the teenager to 3-0.
Madrid champion Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed, faces a challenging draw as she continues her clay season. Her opening match will be against either Dayana Yastremska or Anastasia Potapova. Potential opponents later in her section include Sofia Kenin, Leylah Fernandez, and Daria Kasatkina, before a possible quarterfinal against either No. 8 seed Zheng Qinwen or No. 11 seed Elena Rybakina.
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, a three-time champion in Rome, will look to regain form after recent losses in Stuttgart and a heavy defeat in Madrid. She will begin her title defense against either Elina Avanesyan or Italian favorite Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
All 32 seeded players receive a bye into the second round and will start their campaigns on Thursday. However, the first round features several notable players. Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka, fresh off a clay-court title in Saint-Malo, is set to play Italian veteran Sara Errani. Petra Kvitova will make her return from maternity leave against Irina-Camelia Begu, with the winner potentially facing No. 27 seed Ons Jabeur. Filipino teenager Alexandra Eala will open against Madrid quarterfinalist Marta Kostyuk.
First Quarter Analysis
Two years ago in Rome, Sabalenka, fresh off winning Madrid, was upset in her opening match by Sofia Kenin. This year, 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin, now the No. 31 seed and having reached a clay final herself in Charleston, is a potential third-round opponent for Sabalenka, presenting an unwelcome sense of déjà vu.
Before a potential clash with Kenin, Sabalenka could face Dayana Yastremska, who leads their head-to-head 3-1 (although Sabalenka`s one win was in Rome last year). Potential fourth-round opponents include No. 24 seed Leylah Fernandez, whom Sabalenka hasn`t played since Fernandez`s memorable upset in the 2021 US Open semifinals, and Marta Kostyuk, who held set points against Sabalenka in both sets of their Madrid quarterfinal last week.
A projected quarterfinal meeting with No. 8 seed Zheng Qinwen would put Sabalenka in more favorable head-to-head territory, leading the Chinese player 6-0. However, Zheng must first overcome either the fast-rising Olga Danilovic or doubles No. 1 Katerina Siniakova in her opener, then navigate a section featuring former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, 2023 Rome champion Elena Rybakina (the No. 11 seed), and Bianca Andreescu, returning from another long layoff. Rybakina starts against one of this year`s most improved players: either Madrid quarterfinalist Moyuka Uchijima or Eva Lys.
First-round matches to watch:
- Dayana Yastremska vs. Anastasia Potapova
- Alexandra Eala vs. Marta Kostyuk
- Moyuka Uchijima vs. Eva Lys
- Victoria Azarenka vs. Camila Osorio
- Katerina Siniakova vs. Olga Danilovic
Second Quarter Analysis
Gauff`s projected quarterfinal against Andreeva promises another exciting match, but both players face significant challenges on their path. Andreeva, who is yet to win a match in Rome, opens against either Viktoriya Tomova or a qualifier, with powerful No. 30 seed Linda Noskova potentially awaiting in the third round. She is projected to face No. 10 seed Emma Navarro in the last 16, but Navarro`s section includes dangerous opponents like former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova (returning from injury) in the second round and No. 22 seed Clara Tauson (Doha runner-up) in the third.
Gauff could meet Belinda Bencic for the fourth time this year in the Rome third round. Gauff must first get past either wild card Arianna Zucchini or a qualifier, while returning mother Bencic needs to navigate a qualifier and then No. 32 seed Magda Linette. Gauff has won two of their three encounters this year, including their Madrid fourth-round match last week.
Gauff is slated for a potential last-16 rematch of the 2017 US Open girls` final against fellow American Amanda Anisimova, the No. 15 seed and Doha champion. Their two professional meetings are split; Gauff won on clay in Parma in 2021, while Anisimova won at Wimbledon in 2022. Anisimova may first need to overcome either No. 21 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova or former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, to whom Anisimova has lost twice this year. Raducanu will need to defeat a qualifier to set up a second-round meeting with Alexandrova, with whom she has also split two matches this year.
First-round matches to watch:
- Qualifier vs. Belinda Bencic
- Qualifier vs. Emma Raducanu
- Marketa Vondrousova vs. Wang Xinyu
Third Quarter Analysis
No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula leads the third quarter and is projected to face No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals. Neither player has advanced beyond the quarterfinals in Rome previously. Italian No. 1 Paolini has a challenging route, potentially facing No. 27 seed Ons Jabeur, the 2022 runner-up, in the third round. In the last 16, she could meet either No. 12 seed Karolina Muchova, who withdrew from Madrid due to illness, or No. 17 seed Jelena Ostapenko, who won the Stuttgart title three weeks ago.
Both Muchova and Ostapenko have intriguing second-round possibilities. Ostapenko could face a rematch against Rebecca Sramkova, whom she narrowly defeated in a thrilling third-set tiebreak in Rome last year. Muchova might face Anastasija Sevastova, promising a display of finesse. Former No. 11 Sevastova upset Ostapenko en route to the Madrid third round in her second tournament back from injury.
Meanwhile, Pegula`s opening match will be against either Ashlyn Krueger or a qualifier. Her projected fourth-round opponent is No. 13 seed Diana Shnaider, who is regaining form with new coach Dinara Safina, the 2009 Rome champion, by her side.
First-round matches to watch:
- [SR] Petra Kvitova vs. Irina-Camelia Begu
- Rebecca Sramkova vs. McCartney Kessler
- Lucia Bronzetti vs. [SR] Anastasija Sevastova
Fourth Quarter Analysis
Much attention will be on whether Swiatek can rediscover her best form at one of her most successful venues. The Pole hasn`t reached a final since winning Roland Garros almost a year ago and has experienced several confidence-denting defeats this season.
Her quarter in Rome presents a mix of familiar challenges. While Swiatek generally holds a head-to-head advantage over her main rivals in this section, several have pushed her hard or achieved notable wins. Her projected third-round opponent, No. 29 seed Danielle Collins, defeated her in the 2022 Australian Open semifinals and has since stretched her to three sets three times.
Beyond Collins, Swiatek is slated for a potential last-16 encounter with two-time champion and No. 16 seed Elina Svitolina. The Ukrainian arrives in form after an 11-match winning streak that included the Rouen title and a Madrid semifinal run, and she ousted Swiatek in the 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinals. The potential quarterfinal opponent is No. 5 seed Madison Keys, who famously defeated Swiatek from a match point down in the Australian Open semifinals and secured a dominant 6-0 first set against her in last week`s Madrid quarterfinals.
Keys is projected to meet No. 9 seed Paula Badosa in the fourth round, although the Spaniard has been struggling with a recurrence of her back injury and withdrew from Madrid. Naomi Osaka, who held a match point against Swiatek at Roland Garros last year and recently won her first clay-court title in Saint-Malo, could emerge as a dark horse in this challenging section.
First-round matches to watch:
- [WC] Sara Errani vs. Naomi Osaka
- Elisabetta Cocciaretto vs. Elina Avanesyan
