Coco Gauff Faces Challenging Draw at Italian Open

Coco Gauff does not have many easy matchups at the Italian Open.

Coco Gauff enters the Italian Open as the third seed. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The last time tennis fans saw Coco Gauff, she was one of many players battling a stomach illness at the Madrid Masters. She was unable to defend many of her ranking points after losing to Linda Noskova in the Round of 16, and fell in the WTA Rankings.

Gauff is currently the WTA World No. 4 with a singles record of 19-8 with zero titles. Luckily for the American star, she still enters the Italian Open (Internazionali BNL d'Italia) as the third-seed. The downside is she faces a challenging path to the final in Rome. Below is round-by-round projection of Gauff's potential matchups.

Here’s your women’s main draw — the journey starts now 🎾#IBI26 | @WTA pic.twitter.com/WsdIPY4WST

— Internazionali BNL d'Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) May 4, 2026

Since Gauff is a seeded player, she will have a bye in the first round. In the second round, Gauff will face either Tereza Valentová or Yulia Putintseva. Gauff is 1-0 against Valentová and 3-1 against Putintseva.

Should Gauff advance to the third round, she could face either 27-seed Emma Raducanu or Solana Sierra. Gauff is 2-0 against Raducanu and is 1-0 against Sierra. So far, Gauff should be good through the first three rounds.

Gauff's road to the final gets even tougher in the fourth round. She could face 16-seed Iva Jovic, 24-seed Marie Marie Bouzková, or McCartney Kessler. Gauff has never faced Jovic on the WTA Tour, but is 1-2 against Bouzková and 0-1 against Kessler.

Coco Gauff's projected path to the final in Rome! 🇺🇸

A brutal draw for the American star. 👀#IBI26 pic.twitter.com/Q5R5N2Mrti

— Sportskeeda Tennis (@SK__Tennis) May 4, 2026

In the quarterfinals, Gauff could face eighth-seed Mirra Andreeva, ninth-seed Jasmine Paolini, 21-seed Elise Mertens, or Beatriz Haddad Maia. Gauff is 4-0 against Andreeva, 4-3 against Paolini, 5-0 against Merterns, and has never faced Haddad Maia.

The semifinals could pit Gauff against top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, sixth-seed Amanda Anisimova, 12-seed Belinda Bencic, or 22-seed Anna Kalinskaya. Gauff is 6-7 against Sabalenka, 1-2 against Anisimova, 5-2 against Bencic, and 1-1 against Kalinskaya.

If Gauff makes it through her side of the bracket, the final could be a matchup against second-seed Elena Rybakina, fourth-seed Iga Swiatek, seventh-seed Elina Svitolina, or tenth-seed Victoria Mboko. Gauff is 1-0 against Rybakina, 5-11 against Swiatek, 2-3 against Svitolina, and 1-1 against Mboko.

Architettura, paesaggio, luce: gli Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2026 sono un sistema vivo e ogni angolo del parco parco del Foro Italico ha qualcosa da raccontare ✨#IBI26 pic.twitter.com/abNsbXHD45

— Internazionali BNL d'Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) May 3, 2026

The Italian Open has a history that spans almost a century. The tournament is played on the outdoor clay courts at the historic Foro Italico, with the biggest matches taking place at the incomparable Stadio Centrale. It was rebuilt in 2010 to pack in over 10,000 fans.

The Italian Open runs through May 17. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.