The 83rd edition of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia gets underway this week at the Foro Italico, marking the second leg of the WTA’s back-to-back clay-court WTA 1000 events. With all Top 20 players entered, it sets the stage for a high-level fortnight in Rome.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is seeking her first Rome title. Sabalenka, who has won three titles this season and 26 of her first 28 matches on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, reached the final here in 2024 and will aim to go one better. She will, however, face stiff competition in a stacked field.
Elena Rybakina, who leads the Race to the WTA Finals, is chasing her second Rome title after winning in 2023. Iga Swiatek, a three-time champion (2021, 2022, 2024), has yet to reach a semifinal in 2026 and will look to rediscover her form. Madrid champion Marta Kostyuk brings an unbeaten clay-court record this season, while runner-up Mirra Andreeva aims to build on her strong showing last week.
Below is a breakdown of each section of the draw, including notable first-round matches and projected quarterfinals.
First Quarter
Notable first-round match: Sofia Kenin vs. Bianca Andreescu
The two former Grand Slam champions meet for a chance to face 12th-seeded Belinda Bencic in the second round. Andreescu leads the head-to-head 4-2, though Kenin won their most recent meeting in Charleston this year in straight sets.
Top seed Sabalenka opens against either Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion returning from injury, or Elsa Jacquemot. She could face No. 26 Sorana Cirstea in the third round and No. 13 Linda Noskova in the fourth round in a rematch of their Indian Wells semifinal.
Projected Quarterfinal: Sabalenka vs. Amanda Anisimova. The sixth seeded Anisimova is set for her clay debut after withdrawing from Madrid due to a wrist injury. She holds a narrow edge in their head-to-head (6-5 overall, 3-2 on clay) but faces a difficult path, potentially meeting Jelena Ostapenko, Zheng Qinwen and Bencic before the quarterfinals.
Second Quarter
Notable first-round match: Yulia Putintseva vs. Tereza Valentova
The fiery Kazakh faces the rising 19-year-old Czech, who has surged into the top 50 over the past year.
Third seed Coco Gauff, runner-up here in 2025, will look to capture her first title of the season. She opens against the Putintseva-Valentova winner and could face No. 27 Emma Raducanu in the third round. Raducanu will be playing her first tournament since Indian Wells because of a viral illness. Gauff may meet her younger countrywoman Iva Jovic, the No. 16 seed, in the fourth round.
Projected Quarterfinal: Gauff vs. Mirra Andreeva. The Madrid runner-up Andreeva could face Antonia Ruzic or Kamilla Rakhimova in her opener and may meet No. 29 seed Maya Joint in the third round. Defending champion Paolini, also in this section, will hope a return home sparks a turnaround after a 9-9 start to the season.
Third Quarter
Notable first-round match: Daria Kasatkina vs. Caty McNally. Kasatkina, a former top-10 player now ranked No. 66, arrives fresh off a WTA 125 title in Spain while McNally is coming off her first WTA 1000 fourth-round appearance in Madrid.
The winner faces fourth seed Swiatek, who continues to search for form despite returning to clay. She could meet Emma Navarro in the third round and Naomi Osaka in the fourth. Osaka, who showed fine form in Madrid before going down to Sabalenka in three sets, faces Katie Boulter or Eva Lys in the second round and No. 19 Diana Shnaider before meeting Swiatek.
Projected Quarterfinal: Swiatek vs. Jessica Pegula. The fifth-seeded Pegula has been among the most consistent players this season, compiling a 25-5 record with two titles. Pegula could face No. 25 seed Leylah Fernandez and former French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova, seeded 11th, en route to the last eight.
Fourth Quarter
Notable first-round match: Peyton Stearns vs. Janice Tjen
Stearns, the Austin champion, meets the Chennai winner Tjen for a chance to face No. 17 seed Madison Keys.
Second seed Rybakina anchors this section and could face Maria Sakkari in the second round. No. 31 Xinyu Wang and Alexandra Eala are also in the mix, while 14th seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova is a projected fourth-round opponent. Kostyuk, unbeaten on clay in 11 matches this season, could meet former champion Pliskova in an early showdown.
Projected Quarterfinal: Rybakina vs. Elina Svitolina. The seventh-seeded Ukrainian will look to rebound from an early Madrid exit. She could face No. 32 seed Hailey Baptiste, a semifinalist in Madrid, or No. 10 Victoria Mboko before a potential clash with Keys in the fourth round.
