In a significant event this week, 133 Cardinals from around 70 nations are convening in the Sistine Chapel. They are undertaking the traditional process to choose the next leader of the Catholic Church, the successor to Pope Francis.
This gathering, known as the Conclave, will ultimately select the spiritual guide for 1.4 billion Catholics. Upon their decision, signaled by the appearance of white smoke, the new Pope will be presented from a balcony overlooking St. Peter`s Square.
Coincidentally, just four kilometers away, Rome will also host a major global assembly, albeit of a different kind: the Internazionali BNL d’Italia tennis tournament. This prestigious event features an incredibly strong field, with 49 out of the Top 50 players from the PIF WTA Rankings set to compete starting Tuesday. Only Barbora Krejcikova is absent due to a back injury.
Much attention will be focused on the top two players: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who recently won the Madrid WTA 1000 title (her second consecutive WTA 1000 victory), and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, a dominant force in Rome with three titles in the last four years.
Key storylines to follow include:
A Quick Look at the Top 10
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (31-5 in 2025): After securing her third Madrid title, she`s confidently aiming for her first trophy in Rome.
Best Rome result: Finalist 2024.
No. 2 Iga Swiatek (26-8): The defending champion seeks renewed form following a surprising 6-1, 6-1 semifinal loss to Coco Gauff in Madrid.
Best Rome result: Champion 2024, 2022, 2021.
No. 3 Coco Gauff (19-7): Appearing to find her rhythm on clay, she reached the Madrid final with wins over Swiatek, Mirra Andreeva, and Belinda Bencic.
Best Rome result: Semifinalist 2024, 2021.
No. 4 Jessica Pegula (27-8): Claimed the Charleston title on green clay but holds a 2-2 record on red clay since then.
Best Rome result: Quarterfinalist 2021.
No. 5 Jasmine Paolini (16-8): As Italy`s primary hope in her sixth main draw appearance, she has historically faced challenges on home courts, holding a 2-5 record.
Best Rome result: Round of 32 in 2020.
No. 6 Madison Keys (23-5): Participating in her 11th main draw in Rome.
Best Rome result: Finalist 2016, losing to Serena Williams.
No. 7 Mirra Andreeva (24-6): A semifinalist at Roland Garros last year, she`s hoping for a comparable breakthrough performance in Rome.
Best Rome result: Round of 128 in 2024.
No. 8 Zheng Qinwen (9-7): With a 2-2 clay court record this year, she`s looking to regain form in Rome.
Best Rome result: Quarterfinalist 2024, 2023.
No. 9 Emma Navarro (15-10): Was defeated in the second round in Madrid by Donna Vekic.
Best Rome result: Round of 64 in 2024.
No. 10 Paula Badosa (12-7): Pulled out of Madrid due to a chronic back injury; her participation in Rome remains a decision made close to her match time.
Best Rome result: Quarterfinalist 2023.
Must-Watch First-Round Encounters
Naomi Osaka vs. wild card Sara Errani
Marketa Vondrousova vs. Wang Xinyu
Dayana Yastremska vs. Anastasia Potapova
Other Players to Keep an Eye On
Naomi Osaka arrives in Rome with significant momentum, having recently won her first career clay-court title at the L`Open 35 de Saint Malo in France. As a wild card entry there, she defeated Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 in the final. This victory boosted Osaka`s ranking six places to World No. 48. Her 5-0 run marked her first clay matches since the Paris Olympics last summer. It was also her first tournament title at any level since winning her fourth Grand Slam singles trophy five years ago at the Australian Open.
Players Using Special Rankings
Three notable players are entering the main draw using their protected rankings: Petra Kvitova, Bianca Andreescu, and Anastasija Sevastova.
Kvitova faces the often-challenging clay-court player Irina-Camelia Begu. Andreescu is drawn against 20-year-old Italian wild card Federica Urgesi, and Sevastova will play another Italian, Lucia Bronzetti.
Sevastova doubted she would ever walk without assistance again; she proved herself wrong.
Historical Highlights of the Rome Tournament
The Italian Open has a rich history. Chris Evert holds the record for most titles with five. Conchita Martinez, Gabriela Sabatini, and Serena Williams follow with four titles each. Martinez is unique as the only player (male or female) to win four consecutive titles (1993-1996). In the Open Era, Serena Williams leads in women`s singles match wins at the event with 44, closely followed by Conchita Martinez with 43. Victoria Azarenka is the active player with the most wins, tallying 28.
Tracy Austin was the youngest champion in the Open Era, winning in 1979 at age 16. Serena Williams is the oldest champion, winning at 34 in 2016, one of three titles she secured after turning 30.
A rare `Madrid-Rome double` in the same season has only been achieved by three women: Dinara Safina (2009), Serena Williams (2013), and Iga Swiatek (2024), all while ranked World No. 1. Aryna Sabalenka has the chance to join this exclusive group.
Among players with multiple appearances, Evert boasts the highest winning percentage at .923, while Swiatek is second with .909.
A Change of Representation
Seventeen-year-old Tyra Grant, considered a highly promising young player, will be representing Italy in Rome, a change from playing under the U.S. flag just weeks ago. She has been granted a wild card entry, and her first-round match against a yet-to-be-determined qualifier is expected to draw significant attention.
Grant was born in Rome to an American father and Italian mother. She was raised near Milan and honed her skills at the Piatti Academy, also known for training Jannik Sinner. Grant has also spent time training at the USTA national campus in Florida. Her achievements include three junior Grand Slam doubles titles and reaching the singles semifinals at last year`s French Open. This shift in national representation had been rumored for several weeks.
Qualifying Tournament
The qualifying rounds take place on Monday and Tuesday, with twelve players earning spots in the main draw.
Top seeds in the qualifying draw include Katie Volynets (No. 1), Anna Blinkova (No. 2), Zeynep Sonmez (No. 3), Maya Joint (No. 4), and Ajla Tomljanovic (No. 5).
A notable participant is 35-year-old Alize Cornet, who had announced her retirement at Roland Garros last year but is making a return. She is scheduled to face No. 22 seed Anna Bondar.
Other Players to Note
- Rising 19-year-old Filipina player Alexandra Eala enters the main draw with a ranking of No. 71. She notably defeated Swiatek in the Miami Open quarterfinals and then faced her again in the Madrid second round, where she held a set and a break lead before Swiatek mounted a significant comeback.
- Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, 35, is still seeking her first victory since returning from maternity leave. She currently holds an 0-4 record, including a straight-sets defeat to Katie Volynets in Madrid.
- Anastasija Sevastova, returning after extended breaks due to maternity leave and injury, achieved wins over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and No. 23 seed Jelena Ostapenko in Madrid.
Key Stats from the Previous Tournament (2024 stats mentioned in source)
- Jelena Ostapenko hit the most winners (150) at the most recent Internazionali d’Italia event.
- Aryna Sabalenka saved the most break points (30) and executed the most successful drop shots (17). She also spent the most time on court (10 hours and 13 minutes).
- Coco Gauff excelled at the net, winning 50 points there.
Rupert Caldwell