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Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek will be the top two seeds in the Italian Open this week. The Belarusian clinched her third title in Madrid, and Swiatek came up short against Coco Gauff in the semifinal, 6-4, 6-4.
On the other hand, Casper Ruud was the last man standing in Madrid. He took on Jack Draper in the final and defeated the in-form Brit in three sets to claim his first Masters 1000 title.
Fan favorites Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are also expected to feature in the Italian Open. Sinner will return to the fold after a three-month doping ban, and Alcaraz will make his first appearance since losing in the Barcelona Open final.
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Without further ado, let's look at five players who will be eager to find their form in Rome.
5) Elena Rybakina
Former World No. 3 Elena Rybakina has been far from consistent this year. After a fourth-round exit in Melbourne, she reached the semifinals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai but couldn't make her mark at any of those events. The Kazakh had two titles to her name until this stage last year, but has yet to reach a final in 2025.
She will enter Rome after facing early exits in Miami and Madrid. The former Wimbledon champion will be determined to find her best form in the upcoming few weeks.
4) Ben Shelton
American tennis sensation Ben Shelton made a strong start to the season by reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open. Despite a spirited performance against Jannik Sinner, the Italian outclassed him easily in Melbourne. He once again came close to winning a title in Munich, but was denied by Alexander Zverev in the final.
The American will enter Rome after a modest third-round exit in Madrid. He started his campaign with a solid win against Mariano Navone but lost to Jakub Mensik in the next round. Despite his shaky form, the youngster will be one of the dark horses in Rome.
3) Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek needs no description, especially when it comes to her results on clay. She is the defending champion of the Italian and French Open this year.
Despite reaching the last four in Melbourne, Doha, Indian Wells, and Madrid, Swiatek is yet to win a title in 2025. She also reached the final of the United Cup but lost to Team USA in the last round.
The Pole will be hungry to win a title before Paris and is one of the favorites to make a deep run at the Italian Open. She has a 90% win ratio at the event and has won the iconic tournament thrice in her career (2021, 2022, 2024).
2) Stefanos Tsitsipas
World No. 19 Stefanos Tsitsipas has had a season filled with ups and downs this year. Apart from a title-winning run in Dubai, he's chalked up early exits in Melbourne, Miami, and Madrid. He started his campaign in Madrid with a solid win against Jan Lennard Struff, but couldn't make his mark against Lorenzo Musetti in the third round.
The Greek has been reliable on clay for most of his career, but has looked quite shaky this year. He failed to defend his title in Monte-Carlo and couldn't get past the quarterfinals in Barcelona. Critics will hope that he finds his form in the Italian Open and increases his chances of doing well in Paris.
1) Jannik Sinner returns to the Italian Open
Lastly, Jannik Sinner will hope to find his A-game in the Italian Open following his return to the main tour after 90 days due to a doping suspension. He tested positive for a banned substance called clostebol.
The Italian will make his sixth appearance in Rome this week and has never won the event in the past. Sinner will hope to gain some match fitness and share the court with his rivals in the Italian Open. He is not only one of the favorites to win in Rome but also the player to beat in Paris this year.
