The clay season’s grand crescendo arrives with the Italian Open, as Rome prepares for a two-week spectacle starting May 5 for the women and May 6 for the men, culminating on finals weekend, May 16 and 17. Yet even before the first ball is tossed, the tournament has been rocked by a wave of absences, with more than 10 combined WTA and ATP stars withdrawing. The stage is set, but the field already carries the scars of a season demanding too much, too soon.

The number of withdrawals from the 2026 Italian Open has climbed to 13 across both the men’s and women’s singles draws, raising concerns before the tournament begins.

By Thursday, 10 players had already pulled out of the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event, with major names affected across both tours. Among the biggest absentees are Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, and Jack Draper, all of whom withdrew due to injury concerns.

Alcaraz and Fritz were expected to be seeded second and seventh, respectively, in Rome, making their withdrawals particularly significant. Draper, currently ranked No. 28, has been ruled out with a knee injury, and he would not have been seeded anyway due to an impending drop in rankings.

Holger Rune is also absent, as he continues his recovery from an Achilles injury and prepares for a comeback at the Hamburg Open. The withdrawal list has since grown with Reilly Opelka and Raphael Collignon becoming the latest ATP players to exit the event.

Their replacements, along with others, have reshaped the draw, with Sebastian Ofner replacing Alcaraz, Zachary Svajda stepping in for Fritz, and Hamad Medjedovic filling in for Draper.

Damir Dzumhur replaces Rune, Aleksandar Vukic comes in for Opelka, and Alexandre Muller takes Collignon’s spot, while Mattia Bellucci replaces Arthur Cazaux, Roberto Bautista Agut replaces Kamil Majchrzak, and James Duckworth steps in for Eliot Spizzirri.

On the WTA side, Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon Championships winner and former world No. 6, is the highest-profile withdrawal, having not played since January, and she will be replaced by Solana Sierra.

The first withdrawal came from British No. 1 Sonay Kartal due to a lower back injury, with Zeynep Sonmez taking her place, while Varvara Gracheva and Veronika Kudermetova have also withdrawn and are replaced by Eva Lys and Petra Marcinko, respectively.

There are also lingering doubts over Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, both of whom struggled with illness during the Madrid Open, adding further uncertainty to the field.

The tournament will take place at the iconic Foro Italico in Rome, a historic venue featuring two main courts and a capacity of over 10,500 spectators.

With such an extensive list of withdrawals and replacements, the focus now shifts to which players will step up and headline the tournament in Rome.

Which players are leading the field at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia?

Despite a long list of withdrawals, the Italian Open is set to deliver high-quality action in both the ATP and WTA main draws. This year marks the 82nd edition of the prestigious tournament, hosted once again at the iconic Foro Italico in Rome.

The men’s singles main draw will feature 96 players, including 79 direct entrants, 12 qualifiers, and five wildcard entries. All five wildcards have been awarded to Italian players, namely Matteo Arnaldi, Gianluca Cadenasso, Federico Cina, Francesco Maestrelli, and Luca Nardi.

As the third clay-court Masters 1000 event of the ATP season, the tournament will still feature marquee names such as Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic leading the entry list.

The ATP’s protected ranking system also comes into play, allowing players sidelined for at least six months to enter tournaments based on their previous ranking average.

This protected ranking remains valid for nine tournaments or nine months from a player’s return, ensuring a smoother transition back to competition. Zhang Zhizhen has utilized this system to secure his place in the main draw.

On the WTA side, the spotlight returns to last year’s emotional final, where Jasmine Paolini defeated Coco Gauff to become Italy’s first home champion since Raffaella Reggi in 1985.

Paolini returns as the defending champion, although she is seeded ninth this year, with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka headlining the draw.

The field also includes multiple former champions, such as Iga Swiatek, who won in 2021, 2022, and 2024, Elena Rybakina, the 2023 winner, Karolina Pliskova, who triumphed in 2019, and Elina Svitolina, champion in 2017 and 2018.

Based on the WTA rankings, Sabalenka leads the seedings, followed by Rybakina, Gauff, Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Svitolina, Mirra Andreeva, and Victoria Mboko, completing the top ten.

Rising Filipina star Alex Eala is unseeded after dropping outside the top 40, but she has an opportunity to gain valuable ranking points after her early exit last year.

Eight wildcard entries on the women’s side have been awarded to Italian players, while Pliskova has used her protected ranking to enter, alongside 12 qualifiers and 75 direct entrants.

Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu has not competed since the Indian Wells Open in March and has yet to confirm her recovery from a viral infection.

With the Italian Open just days away, the focus now shifts to which players can build momentum in Rome and carry it forward into Roland Garros.