Just two weeks after their quarterfinal match in Madrid, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva find themselves in the same section of the draw for the Internazionali BNL d`Italia, potentially setting up another meeting in the quarterfinals.
Gauff (21) and Andreeva (18) are the youngest players currently in the Top 10. Both have been placed in the second quarter of the Rome draw, with a potential quarterfinal clash projected between the fourth-seeded Gauff and seventh-seeded Andreeva. In their recent Madrid encounter, Gauff overcame two set points before securing a 7-5, 6-1 win, extending her perfect record against Andreeva to 3-0.
Elsewhere, Madrid champion Aryna Sabalenka faces a challenging path as she aims to continue her strong clay-court performance. The No. 1 seed is set to begin her campaign against either Dayana Yastremska or Anastasia Potapova. Her section of the draw includes players like Sofia Kenin, Leylah Fernandez, and Daria Kasatkina, with a potential quarterfinal against either eighth seed Zheng Qinwen or eleventh seed Elena Rybakina looming.
Second seed Iga Swiatek will look to regain form at one of her historically successful tournaments after a loss to Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart (her sixth in six meetings with the Latvian) and a decisive 6-1, 6-1 defeat by Gauff in Madrid. Three-time Rome champion Swiatek hopes to rediscover her winning touch as she starts her title defense against either Elina Avanesyan or local favorite Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
The 32 seeded players all receive byes into the second round and will begin play later in the week. However, the first round still features several prominent names. Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka, fresh off her first clay-court title at the Saint-Malo WTA 125 event, will open against beloved Italian veteran Sara Errani. Petra Kvitova will seek her first victory since returning from maternity leave, facing Irina-Camelia Begu, with the winner potentially playing No. 27 seed Ons Jabeur. Rising Filipina player Alexandra Eala, 19, is drawn against Madrid quarterfinalist Marta Kostyuk.
First Quarter
Aryna Sabalenka`s section presents a sense of déjà vu. Two years ago, after winning Madrid, she was upset in her Rome opener by Sofia Kenin. The 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin, now the No. 31 seed and with a clay final appearance this year, is a potential opponent in the third round.
Before a possible match with Kenin, Sabalenka might need to overcome Dayana Yastremska, who holds a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head (though Sabalenka`s single win was in Rome last year). Potential fourth-round opponents include No. 24 seed Leylah Fernandez, whom Sabalenka hasn`t played since the Canadian`s memorable upset at the 2021 US Open semifinals, and Marta Kostyuk, who pushed Sabalenka to set points in both sets during their Madrid quarterfinal last week.
A projected quarterfinal meeting with No. 8 seed Zheng Qinwen would be more favorable territory for Sabalenka, who leads their head-to-head 6-0. However, Zheng herself must navigate a tricky path, potentially facing Olga Danilovic or Katerina Siniakova in her opener, and a section that includes former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, 2023 Rome champion Elena Rybakina (No. 11 seed), and Bianca Andreescu, returning from injury. Rybakina`s first match will be 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
Coco Gauff`s potential quarterfinal against Mirra Andreeva is a highly anticipated matchup, but both players face significant challenges to reach that stage. Andreeva, who is seeking her first win in Rome, will start against either Viktoriya Tomova or a qualifier. She could meet powerful No. 30 seed Linda Noskova in the third round and is projected to face No. 10 seed Emma Navarro in the last 16. Navarro, however, has a tough draw, with former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova (returning from injury) as a potential second-round opponent and No. 22 seed Clara Tauson in the third round.
Gauff could face Belinda Bencic for the fourth time this year in the Rome third round. Gauff must first overcome either wild card Arianna Zucchini or a qualifier, while Bencic, returning to the tour after maternity leave, must get past a qualifier and then No. 32 seed Magda Linette. Gauff leads their 2025 head-to-head 2-1, including a win in Madrid`s fourth round last week.
Gauff is also slated for a potential clash with fellow American and Doha champion Amanda Anisimova, the No. 15 seed, in the round of 16. This would be a rematch of the 2017 US Open girls` final. They have split their two previous professional meetings. Anisimova`s path might involve facing either No. 21 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova or former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, whom Anisimova has lost to twice this year. Raducanu will need to win her first-round match against a qualifier to set up a second-round meeting with Alexandrova, against whom she has split two meetings this year.
First-round matches to watch: Qualifier vs. Belinda Bencic, Qualifier vs. Emma Raducanu, Marketa Vondrousova vs. Wang Xinyu
Third Quarter
The third quarter is led by No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, who is projected to meet No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals. Neither player has advanced beyond the quarterfinals in Rome previously. Italian No. 1 Paolini faces a difficult draw, with 2022 runner-up and No. 27 seed Ons Jabeur as a projected third-round opponent. In the round of 16, she could face either No. 12 seed Karolina Muchova, who withdrew from Madrid due to illness, or No. 17 seed Jelena Ostapenko, who recently won the Stuttgart title.
Both Muchova and Ostapenko have intriguing second-round matches. Ostapenko could face a rematch against Rebecca Sramkova, whom she narrowly defeated in a thrilling third-set tiebreak in Rome`s fourth round last year. Muchova might play Anastasija Sevastova, known for her finesse. Sevastova, a former No. 11 player returning from injury, upset Ostapenko en route to the Madrid third round in her second tournament back.
Jessica Pegula will start her tournament against either Ashlyn Krueger or a qualifier. Her projected fourth-round opponent is No. 13 seed Diana Shnaider, who appears to be returning to top form under the guidance of her new coach, Dinara Safina, the 2009 Rome champion.
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
The focus in the fourth quarter is on whether Iga Swiatek can bounce back at one of her preferred tournaments. Swiatek has not reached a final since winning Roland Garros almost a year ago and has experienced several challenging losses this season.
Her quarter in Rome presents a mix of challenges. Unlike Sabalenka, Swiatek generally holds a favorable head-to-head record against the main rivals in her section. However, many of them have either defeated her or pushed her to her limits. Her projected third-round opponent, No. 29 seed Danielle Collins, defeated Swiatek in the 2022 Australian Open semifinals and has since forced her to three sets on three separate occasions.
Beyond Collins, Swiatek is slated to potentially meet two-time champion and No. 16 seed Elina Svitolina in the round of 16. Svitolina is in strong form, coming off an 11-match winning streak that included the Rouen title and a run to the Madrid semifinals, and she famously ousted Swiatek in the 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinals. The potential quarterfinal opponent is No. 5 seed Madison Keys, who defeated Swiatek after saving a match point in the Australian Open semifinals this year and dominated the first set 6-0 in their Madrid quarterfinal last week.
Keys is projected to face No. 9 seed Paula Badosa in the fourth round, although Badosa has been struggling with a recurring back injury and withdrew from Madrid. Naomi Osaka, who held a match point against Swiatek at Roland Garros last year, could be a dark horse in this section after her recent success in Saint-Malo.
First-round matches to watch: [WC] Sara Errani vs. Naomi Osaka, Elisabetta Cocciaretto vs. Elina Avanesyan
