The 2026 French Open is fast approaching, as this week’s Italian Open provides one last big clay-court tune-up before the WTA Tour’s second Grand Slam in Paris.
Italy native and world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini returns to Rome as defending champion, likely putting her top ranking at risk should she not repeat.
“To make deep runs you have to play your best tennis. If your level is there more or less every week, the results will come,” she said.
Paolini faces an eager field, as No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Elena Rybakina, and No. 4 Coco Gauff look to bounce back after falling short in Spain.
Sabalenka suffered a major quarterfinal upset at last week’s Madrid Open — falling to No. 25 Hailey Baptiste for just her second loss of the season — while Rybakina and Gauff exited in the Round of 16.
“I feel like you really have to be versatile to win on this surface,” Gauff said ahead of her Rome return. “I play well on it, but I feel like I play well on it for these last two tournaments of the swing. So, it’s kind of like the ninth inning stretch right now.”
Where to Watch the 2026 Italian Open
The Italian Open runs through May 16th, live on the Tennis Channel.
