Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva could potentially meet again in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d`Italia in Rome, just two weeks after their encounter in the Madrid quarterfinals.
These two rising stars, Gauff (21) and Andreeva (18), are the youngest players ranked in the Top 10. Both have been placed in the second quarter of the Rome draw, and as the 4th and 7th seeds respectively, they are projected to face off in the last eight. Last week in Madrid, Gauff secured a 7-5, 6-1 victory, saving two set points along the way. This win was Gauff`s third against Andreeva in their three career meetings.
Elsewhere in the draw, Madrid champion Aryna Sabalenka faces a challenging path as she looks to maintain her strong clay-court performance. The No. 1 seed`s opening match will be against either Dayana Yastremska or Anastasia Potapova. Her section of the draw includes notable players such as Sofia Kenin, Leylah Fernandez, and Daria Kasatkina. Sabalenka`s potential quarterfinal opponents could be either 8th seed Zheng Qinwen or 11th seed Elena Rybakina.
Second seed Iga Swiatek aims to find her best form at one of her historically successful tournaments, following recent losses in Stuttgart to Jelena Ostapenko (extending her head-to-head deficit to 0-6 against the Latvian) and a significant 6-1, 6-1 defeat to Gauff in Madrid. The three-time Rome champion will hope to rediscover her dominance as she begins her title defense against either Elina Avanesyan or the local favorite, Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
The 32 seeded players all benefit from a first-round bye and will commence play on Thursday. However, the first round features several prominent players. Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka, fresh off winning her first clay-court title at the Saint-Malo WTA 125 event, will start her Rome campaign against the popular Italian veteran Sara Errani. Petra Kvitova will play her first match since returning from maternity leave against Irina-Camelia Begu; the winner of that match will advance to face 27th seed Ons Jabeur. Additionally, the promising 19-year-old Filipina player Alexandra Eala faces a tough opening match against Madrid quarterfinalist Marta Kostyuk.
First quarter
Aryna Sabalenka faced an early exit in Rome two years ago after winning Madrid, losing her opening match to Sofia Kenin. This year`s draw presents a sense of déjà vu, as Kenin, now the 31st seed and having recently reached a clay final, could pose a challenge in the potential third round.
Before potentially facing Kenin, Sabalenka might have to overcome Dayana Yastremska, who holds a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head series (Sabalenka`s only win was in Rome last year). Possible opponents in the fourth round include 24th seed Leylah Fernandez, whom Sabalenka hasn`t played since Fernandez`s notable upset victory in the 2021 US Open semifinals, and Marta Kostyuk, who had set point opportunities against Sabalenka in both sets of their Madrid quarterfinal last week.
An anticipated quarterfinal matchup against 8th seed Zheng Qinwen would see Sabalenka entering a head-to-head where she holds a comfortable 6-0 lead over the Chinese player. However, Zheng herself must navigate her initial matches against players like Olga Danilovic or Katerina Siniakova, and then potentially face challenging opponents including former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, the defending Rome champion and 11th seed Elena Rybakina, and Bianca Andreescu, who is returning from another period of absence due to injury. Rybakina is set to start her tournament against one of the year`s most improved players, either Madrid quarterfinalist Moyuka Uchijima or Eva Lys.
Second quarter
While a Gauff vs. Andreeva quarterfinal is a projected highlight, both players must navigate tough draws to reach that stage. Andreeva, who has yet to win a main draw match in Rome, will begin against either Viktoriya Tomova or a qualifier. A potential third-round opponent could be the powerful 30th seed Linda Noskova. Her projected opponent for the Round of 16 is 10th seed Emma Navarro. However, Navarro`s path includes dangerous players like former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, returning from a shoulder injury layoff, in the second round, and 22nd seed Clara Tauson, the Doha runner-up, in the third.
Gauff could face Belinda Bencic in the third round, continuing their recent rivalry, as three of their five career meetings have occurred in 2025. Gauff`s first match will be against wild card Arianna Zucchini or a qualifier, while Bencic, returning to the tour after becoming a mother, must get past a qualifier and then 32nd seed Magda Linette. Gauff has won two of their three matches this year, including their meeting in the Madrid fourth round last week.
The projected Round of 16 opponent for Gauff is fellow American Amanda Anisimova, the 15th seed and Doha champion. This would be a rematch of the 2017 US Open girls` final. In their professional encounters, they are tied 1-1, with Gauff winning their only clay meeting in Parma in 2021, and Anisimova winning at Wimbledon in 2022. Anisimova`s path could involve facing 21st seed Ekaterina Alexandrova or former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, against whom Anisimova has lost twice this year. Raducanu must defeat a qualifier in her first match to potentially face Alexandrova, with whom she has split two matches this year.
Third quarter
The third quarter is led by 3rd seed Jessica Pegula, with a projected quarterfinal clash against 6th seed Jasmine Paolini. Neither player has advanced past the quarterfinals in Rome previously. Italian No. 1 Paolini faces a challenging route, potentially facing 27th seed Ons Jabeur, the 2022 Rome runner-up, in the third round. In the Round of 16, she could meet either 12th seed Karolina Muchova, who withdrew from Madrid due to illness, or 17th seed Jelena Ostapenko, the winner in Stuttgart three weeks ago.
Both Muchova and Ostapenko have intriguing potential second-round matches. Ostapenko might face Rebecca Sramkova in a rematch of their close three-set encounter in Rome last year. Muchova could meet Anastasija Sevastova, a former World No. 11 known for her finesse, who recently upset Ostapenko in Madrid during her second tournament back from injury.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula will open her campaign against either Ashlyn Krueger or a qualifier. Her anticipated opponent in the fourth round is 13th seed Diana Shnaider, who seems to be regaining her top form with guidance from her new coach, Dinara Safina, the 2009 Rome champion.
Fourth quarter
A key storyline in the fourth quarter is whether Iga Swiatek can rebound at one of her favorite venues. She hasn`t reached a final since winning Roland Garros nearly a year ago and has experienced a series of challenging losses this season.
Swiatek`s section presents varied challenges. Although she holds favorable head-to-head records against many potential rivals, several have either defeated her or pushed her to her limits. Her projected third-round opponent, 29th seed Danielle Collins, defeated Swiatek in the 2022 Australian Open semifinals and has since forced three-set matches multiple times.
Beyond Collins, Swiatek is slated for a potential Round of 16 match against two-time Rome champion and 16th seed Elina Svitolina. The Ukrainian is in excellent form, having won a title in Rouen and reached the semifinals in Madrid, and notably defeated Swiatek in the 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinals. The anticipated quarterfinal opponent is 5th seed Madison Keys, who recently overcame Swiatek after saving a match point in the Australian Open semifinals and dominated the first set against her in their Madrid quarterfinal last week.
Madison Keys is projected to face 9th seed Paula Badosa in the fourth round, although Badosa has been struggling with a recurring back injury that led to her withdrawal from Madrid. Naomi Osaka, who held a match point against Swiatek at Roland Garros last year and recently won a clay title, could also be a dangerous unseeded player in this part of the draw.
