Amanda Anisimova vs. Jelena Ostapenko
At the start of the year, Anisimova may have had Roland Garros in her sights. She nearly made the final there in 2019; she lost to top seed Aryna Sabalenka in 2025; and in the time since, she had raised the ceiling on her expectations by making the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open.
But this hasn’t been the season, or the clay swing, of Anisimova’s dreams. First, after a series of middling results, she split with her coach. Then a wrist injury sidelined her in Madrid. Now she’ll make her debut on dirt in Rome, against a former French Open champ.
▶️ Stream live on the Tennis Channel app (not before 7:20 a.m. ET)
Anisimova and Ostapenko have played twice, both times on hard courts in Doha. Ostapenko won in three sets in 2022; Anisimova won in straight sets last year.
Whether it’s a hard court or a clay court, we know what kind of points these two will play, and what kind of shots they’ll hit. They’re two of the WTA’s most aggressive ball-strikers. They don’t waste time setting up rallies; if there’s a corner that’s open, or half-open, they aim for it.
Anisimova is ranked 30 spots higher—No. 6 to No. 36. She has a better serve, can play a little safer when needed, and, like I wrote above, has much higher expectations for herself than she did even a year ago. The problem for her will be shaking off the rust of two months against a player who won’t give her much rhythm or time to react. Winner: Anisimova
