WTA Rome draw: How Swiatek and Sabalenka can meet again in the final

It’s a quick turnaround after the drama of Madrid, where Iga Swiatek edged Aryna Sabalenka in a classic final to extend her lead at the top of the WTA rankings.

All 32 seeds start with a bye in the first round – and the rest of the draw has now been confirmed.

Here we break down some of the most interesting matches – and possible routes to the final for the biggest names.

First-round matches

Of the unseeded players, there are some tasty-looking first-round encounters. Mirra Andreeva faces former world No 2 Paula Badosa, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka takes on Clara Burel, while three-time Slam winner Angelique Kerber plays Lauren Davis.

There’s also an intriguing-looking match between Donna Vekic and Lesia Tsurenko in the third quarter.

Swiatek’s possible route to the final

The world No 1 begins on court against Caroline Dolehide in the second round. In round three, she looks likely to come up against former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, with Ekaterina Alexandrova the possible fourth-round opponent.

Marketa Vondrousova lies in wait in the quarter-final (although she herself has a tough obstacle in store in the shape of former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez in the second round).

There is a probable tough test against world No 3 Coco Gauff in the semi-final, then, of course, she could face Sabalenka again in the final.

Sabalenka’s possible route to the final

The world No 2 has a tricky-looking draw. Her second-round opponent is Wang Yafan, and then she is set to face Dayana Yastremska in the third round.

From then on, it just gets tougher, with some big names likely to stand in her way: Elina Svitolina in the fourth round, a rematch of their Roland-Garros quarter-final last year; Ons Jabeur in the quarter-final, who defeated the Belarusian in last year’s Wimbledon semi-final; Elena Rybakina in the semi-final, who will want revenge for both her Madrid semi-final defeat and the Australian Open final; and then Swiatek in the final.

If Sabalenka wants the title, she’ll have to win it the hard way.

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