The Italian Open’s 96-player main draw has been announced, and 18 of the top 20 players in the world will compete for the championship. The clay-court events continue on the WTA Tour with next week’s Italian Open in Rome. On Tuesday, the main-draw competition will begin in the Italian capital. On 20 May, the singles and pairs finals will be place.
Iga Swiatek, the current two-time champion and No. 1 in the world, is placed first in the draw. Swiatek won the Rome title for the first time in 2021 by defeating Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0. The previous year, Swiatek defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2, to capture her second straight title.
Swiatek is certain to play either 2014 Rome finalist Sara Errani or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round. Swiatek could meet reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals if the seedings hold.
Ons Jabeur, who was a runner-up last year and is seeded No. 4, leads the second quarter as she prepares to compete in her first WTA 1000 event on clay this year. Due to a calf injury, Jabeur withdrew from last week’s Mutua Madrid Open, where she was the defending champion.
There could be a quarterfinal matchup between the top two Americans (and doubles partners) in this quarter if No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 6 seed Coco Gauff each hold their seeds and reach the elite eight.
Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, enters the bottom quarter with energy after winning her second Madrid championship in the last three years on Saturday. For the first time in four attempts, Sabalenka defeated Swiatek on clay to win the WTA 1000 championship in Spain.
