Italian Open 2026: Busy Day For Tennis Fans As Rome Tournament Heats Up

William Hill tipster Sam Cox looks at some of the standout matches at the Italian Open on Sunday, with some of the main players in the tournament bidding to advance to the next round.

Italian Open Predictions Today:

• Learner Tien to win
• Jiří Lehečka +2.5 games
• Elena Rybakina -6.5 games
• Hailey Baptiste +3.5 games

Sunday’s Italian Open schedule is absolutely packed, providing plenty of opportunities for tennis betting. Here are our top tips from Sunday’s slate:

Learner Tien vs Alexander Bublik

Learner Tien and Alexander Bublik did was expected, defeating Damir Džumhur and Sebastián Báez, respectively, in straight sets. The consequence of those wins is Tien and Bublik’s first-ever matchup.

Since reaching the semis in Rotterdam, Bublik’s form has been poor. He’s lost three matches in a row. Tien’s record isn’t much better – he’s been on the wrong side of several upsets since losing to Jannik Sinner at Indian Wells.

This is a bit like the moveable object meets the stoppable force. These are two of the top 21 players in the world, but their recent performances do little to inspire confidence. The upside of Tien is worth backing.

Casper Ruud vs Jiří Lehečka

Casper Ruud has beaten Jiří Lehečka in straight sets in each of their two previous meetings. Those must be taken with a pinch of salt, though, as they haven’t matched up since 2023.

Lehečka has ascended since then. He’s at his career-high ranking and reached the final in Miami. Ruud won in Madrid last year, but his record since then is pretty underwhelming.

It’s surprising to see Lehečka as the underdog for this contest. Yes, Ruud has been an elite clay-court player at points, but his form leaves plenty to be desired. This is a toss-up.

Alexandra Eala vs Elena Rybakina

This is the first time Alexandra Eala has faced Elena Rybakina. A defeat to Anastasia Potapova in Madrid was the first major setback for Rybakina in several weeks after strong performances at Indian Wells, Miami, and Stuttgart.

Eala saw off Wang Xinyu in the last round. Clay hasn’t been a favoured surface in her career to date, with no previous third-round appearances at WTA 1000 clay-court events.

This feels like a pretty big mismatch. Rybakina should win this quickly.

Elina Svitolina vs Hailey Baptiste

Hailey Baptiste came from a set down to beat Simona Waltert and book a Sunday matchup with Elina Svitolina. The American is a woman in form after reaching the last four in Madrid, which included a win over Aryna Sabalenka.

Svitolina suffered a surprise defeat to Anna Bondar in Madrid, following a semi-final appearance in Stuttgart. Notably, Baptiste beat Svitolina on Miami’s hard courts earlier this year.

This promises to be a highly competitive match with the standards Baptiste has shown in recent weeks.

*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*