The return of the Australian gem

Maya Joint is coming back after two months out. The 20-year-old right-handed Australian injured her back in Indian Wells in March, losing the last two sets of a match she was leading 6–0 against Cristian before her back gave out. Absent from the BJK Cup, Miami and Madrid, she arrives in Rome for her first clay match of 2026, without rhythm, without reference points on this surface this season, and with a physical question mark that nobody can really assess from the outside. Her last-52-week clay stats are impressive and show a true clay-courter capable of holding long rallies with authority. But those numbers belong to a player from before the injury. What she can produce today, no one really knows—maybe not even her.

On the other side, Viktorija Golubic showed up yesterday with a clarity that closes any debate about her form: Urgesi swept aside 6–1 6–1, 7 breaks converted, a first serve at 69% in, and baseline reading of the game that remains intact at 33. The Swiss wildcard doesn’t have the ranking to intimidate, but she has something Joint doesn’t have today: rhythm, reference points on this Roman clay, and the certainty of a back that doesn’t raise questions between rallies. Her Breakpoints Prevail at 0.941, under 1 on clay over the last 52 weeks, says she can struggle under pressure, and her 0% of tie-breaks won on the surface is a real red flag. But against a Joint who hasn’t played for two months, these weaknesses remain theoretical.