6 weeks without playing, which American will show up?

Tonight against Stefanini, Jelena Ostapenko left no doubt about her intentions. Six breaks converted out of six, 74% of points won behind her first serve, 85% on the opponent’s second serve. A 6-0 6-1 scoreline that says less about the opponent’s fragility than about the clarity of the Latvian’s mindset on this Roman clay she knows well, having reached the quarterfinals here last year. When Ostapenko gets going on clay, she’s not looking to construct, she’s looking to destroy, and that version of her is uncomfortable for anyone on tour.

Amanda Anisimova arrives from the opposite direction. The 24-year-old American right-hander, seeded 6, has been one of the most impressive players on tour since 2025, with two WTA 1000 titles, a Wimbledon final, and a US Open final. But Rome is almost terra incognita for her: just one match played here before this edition, no real clay rhythm for six weeks, in a tournament where she’s never truly made her mark. Her 52-week clay stats are solid on serve and holding games, but Ostapenko doesn’t play the same kind of tennis as the opponents Anisimova has faced in recent months.