As 133 Cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday afternoon to begin the ancient process of selecting Pope Francis`s successor, another significant global event is unfolding just four kilometers away.
While the Conclave will eventually name the next leader for 1.4 billion Catholics, culminating in the signature white smoke, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia is hosting its own high-stakes `selection` process. Nearly all of the WTA`s elite players are set to compete, with 49 out of the Top 50 in the PIF WTA Rankings scheduled to start play on Tuesday. Only Barbora Krejcikova is absent due to a back injury.
Much of the attention will be on World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who recently won the WTA 1000 event in Madrid, and No. 2 Iga Swiatek, a dominant force in Rome, having claimed the title in three of the last four years.
Here`s a look at some of the key storylines:
Top 10 at a glance
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (31-5 in 2025): Coming off her third Madrid title, Sabalenka is aiming for her first victory in Rome.
Best Rome result: Finalist 2024.
No. 2 Iga Swiatek (26-8): The reigning champion seeks a return to top form after a tough 6-1, 6-1 semifinal loss in Madrid.
Best Rome result: Champion 2024, 2022, 2021.
No. 3 Coco Gauff: (19-7) Gauff appears to be finding her rhythm on clay after reaching the Madrid final, with notable wins over Swiatek, Mirra Andreeva, and Belinda Bencic.
Best Rome result: Semifinalist 2024, 2021.
No. 4 Jessica Pegula: (27-8): Pegula triumphed on Charleston`s green clay but has a mixed record (2-2) on red clay since.
Best Rome result: Quarterfinalist 2021.
No. 5 Jasmine Paolini: (16-8) Italy`s top player hopes to improve her struggling home record (2-5) in her sixth appearance.
Best Rome result: Round of 32 in 2020
No. 6 Madison Keys: (23-5) Making her eleventh appearance in the main draw.
Best Rome result: Finalist 2016, losing to Serena Williams.
No. 7 Mirra Andreeva: (24-6) A semifinalist at last year`s Roland Garros, Andreeva seeks a breakthrough performance in Rome.
Best Rome result: Round of 128 in 2024.
No. 8 Zheng Qinwen: (9-7) With a 2-2 record on clay this season, Zheng aims for a turnaround in Rome.
Best Rome result: Quarterfinalist 2024, 2023.
No. 9 Emma Navarro: (15-10) Navarro lost her second match in Madrid to Donna Vekic.
Best Rome result: Round of 64 in 2024.
No. 10 Paula Badosa: (12-7) Badosa withdrew from Madrid due to a chronic back injury and remains a doubt for Rome.
Best Rome result: Quarterfinalist 2023.
Three first-round matches we can’t wait for
- Naomi Osaka vs. wild card Sara Errani
- Marketa Vondrousova vs. Wang Xinyu
- Dayana Yastremska vs. Anastasia Potapova
On the outside looking in
Naomi Osaka arrives in Rome with significant momentum, having recently won the L`Open 35 de Saint Malo title. This marked her first career title on clay. Her ranking improved six spots to No. 48. She went undefeated (5-0) for the week, playing her first clay matches since the last Summer Olympics in Paris. This was her first title at any level since winning her fourth Grand Slam singles title five years ago at the Australian Open.
Clearly, it’s personal
Three players are entered using their protected rankings: Petra Kvitova, Bianca Andreescu, and Anastasija Sevastova.
Kvitova faces Irina-Camelia Begu, a dangerous opponent on clay. Andreescu will play Italian wildcard Federica Urgesi, while Sevastova takes on fellow Italian Lucia Bronzetti.
Roma’s rich history
Chris Evert holds the record for the most Italian Open titles with five, followed by Conchita Martinez, Gabriela Sabatini, and Serena Williams, each with four. Martinez is unique in winning four consecutive titles (1993-1996), a feat unmatched by any male or female player.
In the Open Era, Serena Williams leads in women`s singles match wins with 44, just ahead of Conchita Martinez (43). Victoria Azarenka has the most wins among active players with 28.
Tracy Austin is the youngest champion in the Open Era, winning in 1979 at age sixteen. Serena Williams is the oldest champion, winning in 2016 at age 34, and claimed the title three times after turning 30.
Only three women have achieved the rare Madrid-Rome double in the same season: Dinara Safina (2009), Serena Williams (2013), and Iga Swiatek (2024). All did so as World No. 1. Aryna Sabalenka has a chance to join this exclusive group this year.
Among players with multiple appearances in the Open Era, Evert boasts the highest winning percentage (.923), with Swiatek holding the second-best (.909).
Switching sides
Just weeks after representing the United States, the highly-rated 17-year-old Tyra Grant will compete for Italy in Rome. As a wildcard entry, her first-round match against a yet-to-be-named qualifier will be closely watched. Born in Rome to an American father and Italian mother, Grant grew up near Milan and trained at the renowned Piatti Academy, where Jannik Sinner honed his skills. She also spent time training at the USTA national campus in Florida. Grant has achieved success in the juniors, winning three Grand Slam doubles titles and reaching the French Open singles semifinals last year. Her nationality switch had been anticipated for several weeks.
Qualies
Qualifying matches take place Monday and Tuesday, adding twelve players to the main draw.
Top qualifying seeds include: No. 1 Katie Volynets, No. 2 Anna Blinkova, No. 3 Zeynep Sonmez, No. 4 Maya Joint, and No. 5 Ajla Tomljanovic.
A notable participant is 35-year-old Alize Cornet, who announced her retirement last year but returns here to face No. 22 seed Anna Bondar.
Keep an eye on …
- Keep an eye on 19-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala, who enters the main draw at No. 71. Eala recently pushed Swiatek hard in the second round of Madrid, leading by a set and a break before Swiatek rallied for the win.
- Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is seeking her first win since returning from maternity leave, holding an 0-4 record after her Madrid loss to Katie Volynets.
- Anastasija Sevastova, back after extended breaks for maternity leave and injury, showed form in Madrid with wins over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and No. 23 seed Jelena Ostapenko.
2024 leaders (Stats from the previous Rome tournament)
- Jelena Ostapenko hit the most winners (150).
- Aryna Sabalenka led in break points saved (30) and successful drop shots (17). She also spent the most time on court (10 hours and 13 minutes).
- Coco Gauff won the most net points last year (50).
