Rome, May 4 (IANS) The draw for the Italian Open 2026 women’s singles event has been revealed, setting up a compelling fortnight of clay-court action at the Foro Italico, with World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka leading a star-studded field at the WTA 1000 tournament.

The prestigious event, now in its 83rd edition, marks the second major clay-court stop of the season following Madrid, with all top-ranked players in contention. Defending champion Jasmine Paolini returns to home soil, aiming to rediscover form, while several leading names face tricky early routes.

Top seed Sabalenka, who is chasing her maiden Rome title after finishing runner-up last year, will begin her campaign against either Barbora Krejcikova or Elsa Jacquemot. The Belarusian could face Sorana Cirstea in the third round and is projected to meet the sixth seed, Amanda Anisimova, in the quarterfinals.

Third seed Coco Gauff, a finalist here last year, opens against either Yulia Putintseva or Tereza Valentova and could face Emma Raducanu in the third round. Raducanu, returning after a break since Indian Wells, starts against Solana Sierra or a qualifier. Gauff is projected to meet Madrid runner-up Mirra Andreeva in the last eight, with Paolini also in this section.

In the bottom half, fourth seed Iga Swiatek, seeking to regain rhythm on clay, could open against either Caty McNally or Daria Kasatkina, with potential matchups against Emma Navarro and Naomi Osaka in the early rounds. A quarterfinal clash with fifth seed Jessica Pegula is on the cards, with the American enjoying a consistent season so far.

Second seed Elena Rybakina, the 2023 Rome champion, anchors the final quarter and could face Maria Sakkari in her opening match. Rising talents like Alexandra Eala and Xinyu Wang are also in her section, while Marta Kostyuk, fresh off her Madrid triumph, looms as a potential fourth-round opponent. Rybakina is projected to meet Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.

With a 96-player draw and the top 32 seeds receiving first-round byes, the tournament promises high-quality contests from the outset. The presence of in-form players, returning stars, and emerging talents sets the stage for an intense battle in Rome as players fine-tune preparations ahead of the French Open.

–IANS

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