At the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the top half of the draw remains strong as Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, and Zheng Qinwen all progressed to the Round of 16. Conversely, three of the Top 5 seeds were eliminated, with Jasmine Paolini being the only projected quarterfinalist to advance from the bottom half. Exciting matchups include Sabalenka against Marta Kostyuk and Gauff facing Emma Raducanu. Additionally, former champions Bianca Andreescu and Naomi Osaka, who has an eight-match clay winning streak, are making their presence felt, setting up thrilling matches for Monday’s play.
Despite some unexpected upsets in the lower half of the draw on Saturday—where three of the top five seeds were eliminated—the favorites in the top half are advancing smoothly.
This Sunday, the top eight seeded players—No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 4 Coco Gauff, No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, and No. 8 Zheng Qinwen—all gracefully made it through to Monday’s Round of 16 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Also flying somewhat under the radar are two former US Open champions, Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu, who are returning after facing injuries and health challenges.
No. 6 Jasmine Paolini is the only projected quarterfinalist from the lower half of the draw to reach the fourth round. However, an intriguing unseeded match awaits as Peyton Stearns faces off against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
Here’s a look at all eight Round of 16 matches set for Monday in Rome:
Top Half
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. Marta Kostyuk
Head-to-head: 3-0, favoring Sabalenka. Their most recent encounter was a close contest a few weeks ago in the Madrid quarterfinals, which Sabalenka won 7-6(4), 7-6(7).
Although Sabalenka has yet to secure a title in Rome, her path has improved following several high-profile third-round upsets. She managed to come back against No. 31 Sofia Kenin, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, while Kostyuk triumphed over No. 24 Leylah Fernandez with a score of 6-4, 6-2.
No. 4 Coco Gauff vs. Emma Raducanu
Head-to-head: 1-0, in favor of Gauff, who won their previous matchup in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open, 6-3, 7-6(4).
This clash between former US Open champions may be the highlight of Monday’s impressive slate. Gauff defeated No. 32 Magda Linette with a score of 7-5, 6-3, while Raducanu overcame Veronika Kudermetova 5-7, 6-0, 6-1.
No. 7 Mirra Andreeva vs. No. 22 Clara Tauson
Head-to-head: Andreeva leads 2-0.
This will mark their third meeting this year and serves as a rematch of the Dubai final, which Andreeva won 7-6(1), 6-1, and she followed up with a round-of-32 victory on her way to the title in Indian Wells.
Andreeva dispatched No. 30 Linda Noskova with a score of 6-1, 7-5, while Tauson rallied to defeat No. 10 Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-0, 6-4.
No. 8 Zheng Qinwen vs. Bianca Andreescu
Head-to-head: Zheng leads 1-0, having won their previous encounter 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 three years ago in Toronto.
Having played only 16 matches before arriving in Rome, Zheng’s form has been improving lately. A win over Andreescu would secure her a spot in her third quarterfinal in the last four WTA 1000 events. Zheng convincingly defeated No. 26 Magdalena Frech 6-3, 6-2, while Andreescu upset No. 11 Elena Rybakina with a score of 6-2, 6-4.
Bottom Half
No. 6 Jasmine Paolini vs. No. 17 Jelena Ostapenko
Head-to-head: 2-1, in favor of Ostapenko, including their latest match, a 6-2, 6-2 victory in the third round of the Doha tournament this year.
This is a remarkable achievement for Paolini, who has never advanced this far in Rome before. She earned her spot after a decisive 6-4, 6-3 win against Ons Jabeur. Meanwhile, Ostapenko advanced to this stage thanks to a walkover from lucky loser Laura Siegemund due to a leg injury.
No. 13 Diana Shnaider vs. No. 25 Elise Mertens
Head-to-head: Mertens leads 2-0, with their most recent encounter resulting in a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory for Mertens in the 2025 Stuttgart round of 16 on red clay.
Mertens achieved a notable upset against No. 3 Jessica Pegula, winning 7-5, 6-1 on Saturday evening, while Shnaider defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 6-3. Coached in Madrid by former World No. 1 Dinara Safina, Shnaider reached the Round of 16 before falling to Iga Swiatek but has since parted ways with Safina, who did not travel to Rome.
No. 16 Elina Svitolina vs. No. 29 Danielle Collins
Head-to-head: Collins leads 2-1; however, Svitolina won their most recent match in March 6-2, 6-4 during the Round of 32 at Indian Wells.
Svitolina has been in excellent form on clay this season, winning 13 of 14 matches, including a title in Rouen, France, and reaching the semifinals in Madrid before losing to the eventual champion, Aryna Sabalenka. She recently defeated qualifier Hailey Baptiste.
Naomi Osaka vs. Peyton Stearns
Head-to-head: 0-0.
One of Osaka’s standout performances last year was a loss to the eventual champion Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros. This may have foreshadowed her current success, as Osaka has now won eight consecutive matches on clay, starting with her WTA 125 title in Saint Malo—the first of her career on clay. Her latest victory came with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Marie Bouzkova. Stearns, along with her new coach Blaz Kavcic, made a strong comeback to overcome No. 5 seed and fellow American Madison Keys with a score of 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(3).