Jasmine Paolini is set to defend her 2025 Italian Open crown, but she’ll face a serious test as all Top 20 players are currently scheduled to compete when the 2026 Italian Open WTA 1000 begins on May 5.
Rome is loaded.
This isn’t just another clay stop… It’s the final major test before the French Open, and the field reflects it.
Every top 20 player is expected in this final major test before the 2026 French Open, and Paolini will have to go through them all if she wants to repeat.
Internazionali BNL d’Italia 2026
Intelligence Command Center
🇮🇹 The Sinner Factor
MEN’S DRAW BREAKDOWN🇮🇹 Sabalenka’s Path
WOMEN’S DRAW BREAKDOWN👑 Queen of Clay?
WTA Draw Date & Betting Trends📊 Draw Analysis
ATP Draw Times & Past Champions⚠️ Field Alert
Wild Cards & Late WithdrawalsDraws & Tournament Vitals
ATP Power Rankings
View ATP Top 100WTA Power Rankings
View WTA Top 100Italian Open WTA 1000 Tourney Details
- Draw Reveal: May 2, 1 PM local time
- Main Draw Begins: May 5
- Defending Champion: Jasmine Paolini
Entry List: Italian Open Women’s Singles entry list
Wild Cards
- Nuria Brancaccio
- Lucia Bronzetti
- Tyra Caterina Grant
- Lisa Pigato
- Jennifer Ruggeri
- Lucrezia Stefanini
- Martina Trevisan
Protected Ranking
- Karolína Plíšková
Withdrawals
- Varvara Gracheva → replaced by Eva Lys
- Sonay Kartal → replaced by Zeynep Sönmez
- Veronika Kudermetova → replaced by Petra Marčinko
Past 5 Italian Open WTA 1000 Champions
As you can see, experienced clay-court grinders with banging return games win in Rome.
Queens of the Clay
WTA Rome: The Last 5 Reigning Champs
| Year | The Champion | The Runner-Up | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jasmine Paolini | C. Gauff | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2024 | Iga Świątek | A. Sabalenka | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2023 | Elena Rybakina | A. Kalinina | 6-4, 1-0 (ret.) |
| 2022 | Iga Świątek | O. Jabeur | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 2021 | Iga Świątek | K. Plíšková | 6-0, 6-0 |
Italian Open WTA 1000 Betting Trends (2014-2025)
Phil has gathered up all the pertinent round-by-round Italian Open WTA 1000 betting trends from 2012.
Italian Open Betting Statistics
Internazionali BNL d’Italia · 2014–2025 · WTA 1000
| Favorite | Underdog | Over / Under | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Matches | Win % | ML ROI | Win % | ML ROI | Avg Games | Over % | Under % |
| 1st Round | 312 | 67.9% | −1.6% | 32.1% | −20.3% | 21.6 | 42.3% | 57.7% |
| 2nd Round | 240 | 68.8% | −3.6% | 31.3% | −8.2% | 20.6 | 42.5% | 57.5% |
| 3rd Round | 120 | 72.5% | +4.0% | 27.5% | −14.1% | 20.9 | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| 4th Round | 24 | 79.2% | +12.7% | 20.8% | −52.6% | 22.0 | 37.5% | 62.5% |
| Quarterfinals | 48 | 58.3% | −12.8% | 41.7% | +9.8% | 21.6 | 43.8% | 56.3% |
| Semifinals | 24 | 79.2% | +13.2% | 20.8% | −41.5% | 22.4 | 41.7% | 58.3% |
| The Final | 12 | 75.0% | −2.0% | 25.0% | −34.9% | 17.8 | 41.7% | 58.3% |
ROI calculated per $100 flat bet on moneyline. Odds source: Pinnacle/market average (AvgW / AvgL). Over/Under based on total games played vs. per-round mean line. Sample: 780 matches, 2014–2025.
What This Means Going Into 2026
- Early rounds: favorites win, but pricing is tight
- Middle rounds: strongest edge for top players
- Quarterfinals: danger zone for heavy favorites
- Later rounds: smaller sample, still volatile
Rome rewards:
- Strong returners
- Players who can extend rallies
- Players who can win without relying on serve
This is why Rome plays differently from faster surfaces like Madrid. A serve plus one alone will not carry a player through this draw.
Phil Naessens is a tennis betting analyst and former tennis coach with decades of experience in player development and match analysis. He is the founder of Crush Rush News and host of the Crush & Rush Tennis Podcast, focusing on price-first betting strategy, market efficiency, and transparency in sports wagering.
