By Tony Fairbairn
- Iga Swiatek aims for maiden title of 2025 in Rome title defence bid.
- Top Seeds: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff
- British Interest: Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Emma Raducanu
ROME, ITALY – Iga Swiatek continues her search for a first title of the season as she looks to successfully defend her Rome title.
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[1] Aryna Sabalenka
Best Result: Final (2024)
A third Madrid title has boosted Sabalenka’s Roland Garros preparations and another strong tournament in Rome could put her as the favourite for the tournament in Paris.
Sabalenka’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Anastasia Potapova | H2H: Sabalenka leads 1-0
- R3: Sofia Kenin [31] | H2H: Sabalenka leads 3-1
- R4: Daria Kasatkina [14] | H2H: Sabalenka leads 7-2
- QF: Qinwen Zheng [8] | H2H: Sabalenka leads 6-0
- SF: Coco Gauff [4] | H2H: Tied at 5-5
- F: Iga Swiatek [2] | H2H: Swiatek leads 8-4
A tough opening match awaits Sabalenka in the form of either Anastasia Potapova or Dayana Yastremska who are both on clay. A fourth round clash against former Roland Garros finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova could await the world number one before a last 16 meeting with Daria Kasatkina. This tournament will test Sabalenka’s consistency, quality and skillset but the world number one is expected to reach the latter stages in Rome and will start as favourite for the title.
[2] Iga Swiatek
Best Result: Champion (2021, 2022, 2024)
It was another disappointing tournament for Swiatek in Madrid and now the Pole will aim to build up some last minute momentum ahead of Roland Garros.
Swiatek’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Elina Avanesyan | H2H: First Meeting
- R3: Danielle Collins [29] | H2H: Swiatek leads 7-1
- R4: Elina Svitolina [16] | H2H: Swiatek leads 3-1
- QF: Madison Keys [5] | H2H: Swiatek leads 5-2
- SF: Jessica Pegula [3] | H2H: Swiatek leads 6-4
- F: Aryna Sabalenka [1] | H2H: Swiatek leads 8-4
Swiatek could renew her rivalry with Danielle Collins in the third round but the Pole’s toughest assignment will come in the fourth round against former champion Elina Svitolina. In the quarter-finals, the defending champion will have a rematch with Madison Keys from last week or will face Paula Badosa. Ultimately Swiatek will need to bring her best tennis in order to defend her title and this is an important test in Swiatek’s bid to conjure up some form of confidence heading into the second Grand Slam of the season.
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[3] Jessica Pegula
Best Result: Quarter-Final (2021)
After a tough start to the clay court season, Pegula will look to bounce back from injuries to produce a deep run in Rome.
Pegula’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Ashlyn Krueger | H2H: Pegula leads 4-0
- R3: Elise Mertens [25] | H2H: Mertens leads 3-1
- R4: Diana Shnaider [13] | H2H: Pegula leads 2-0
- QF: Jasmine Paolini [6] | H2H: Pegula leads 5-0
- SF: Iga Swiatek [2] | H2H: Swiatek leads 6-4
- F: Aryna Sabalenka [1] | H2H: Sabalenka leads 7-2
It’s an extremely doable draw for Pegula but the American must be wary of some tidy players on clay. Elise Mertens, Yulia Putintseva and Diana Shnaider are all in Pegula’s section of the draw ahead of a quarter-final meeting with home favourite Jasmine Paolini. If the American finds her confidence and quality quickly then she can do some damage in Italy. However, if the third seed’s recent struggles remain present then it could be another early exit for Pegula ahead of Roland Garros.
[4] Coco Gauff
Best Result: Semi-Final (2021, 2024)
After a sensational run to the final in Madrid, Gauff will hope to continue her confident form ahead of Roland Garros.
Gauff’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Arianna Zucchini [WC] | H2H: First Meeting
- R3: Magda Linette [32] | H2H: Gauff leads 2-1
- R4: Amanda Anisimova [15] | H2H: Tied at 1-1
- QF: Mirra Andreeva [7] | H2H: Gauff leads 3-0
- SF: Aryna Sabalenka [1] | H2H: Tied at 5-5
- F: Iga Swiatek [2] | H2H: Swiatek leads 11-4
The draw allows Gauff to play her way into the tournament with the American’s first tough test coming in the third round against Belinda Bencic or Magda Linette. The fourth round could put Gauff against former Roland Garros semi-finalist Amanda Anisimova or the in-form Ekaterina Alexandrova. A rematch against Mirra Andreeva could await Gauff in the last eight with the American holding a very good head-to-head record against the youngster. If Gauff continues her current wave of form then she has a good chance to avenge the loss against Sabalenka from last week’s Madrid final defeat.
Rome begins on the sixth of May and finishes on the 18th of May.
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