Summary
The WTA Rome Masters will be taking place this week and next, and we are seeing the ultimate shift of the tour towards the red clay, finally.
After having one of the best hard court seasons we’ve had in a while with multiple winners in prestigious events, the WTA tour heads towards the European swing of the red clay in order to once again do damage.
The bouncy ball will be a key part of these women’s strategy and gameplan these next few weeks, because of the slow courts and ability for the heat to play a huge factor.
Weather conditions will be important to monitor as well, because of the potential rain throughout the week.
There will more than likely be a few breakout names making their mark this week in Rome, and we have seen so many potential young stars blossom over the first few months of the WTA Tour.
Let’s look at some of the best players competing this week in Rome on Stake.com’s sportsbook!
Players to Watch For
Aryna Sabalenka - Gunning for #1
Aryna Sabalenka has taken off into another dimension after winning her title in Madrid last week.
Beating Iga Swiatek for a clay title is no easy feat, especially in a Master’s tournament.
The hard-hitting Belarussian is playing at one of the highest levels we’ve seen on the tour, and she is flying into every tournament with her vast abilities.
Hitting with precision and pace, there are only few players who are able to redirect and stay in points with Sabalenka.
She is playing with a ton of confidence, and it would be hard to see anyone in this field stopping her, besides Iga Swiatek, who was unsuccessful last week.
Sabalenka will look to once again claim another title in 2023, to add to her already incredible season.
Iga Swiatek - Running it Back
Iga Swiatek has had a great past few weeks after her rest period, and she is looking to defend her Rome title in the big city.
Swiatek is the best player in the world on the women’s tour when it comes to clay courts, because of her looping forehand that can seriously trouble opponents.
Last week she was sporadically dominating opponents with her shots, until the final versus Aryna.
Swiatek played well but was ultimately a victim of the massive power Sabalenka puts on her opponents.
Regardless, Swiatek is still the world number one, but will have to defend points here which will be huge for her current ranking hopes.
Elena Rybakina - Clay Nightmares
Elena Rybakina is finally within the top ten rankings of the WTA tour, but she has had mediocre (at best) results on the clay courts throughout her career.
Rybakina’s flat hitting is a problem for any surface, but on clay she is neutralized a bit.
She needs to find her arsenal of creativity and try to find different ways to win points, and she has so many points to gain throughout this swing if she can.
Look for Rybakina to be assertive and play first-strike tennis throughout this week.
