Rome entry list: 49 of the Top 50 players headed to Italy

The main-draw entry list for this year's Internazionali BNL d'Italia was released this week, with 49 of the Top 50 players headed to Rome for the sixth WTA 1000 event of the season.

Main-draw play at the prestigious two-week clay-court event will kick off on Tuesday, May 7. World No.4 Elena Rybakina will attempt to defend her 2023 title, while World No.1 Iga Swiatek will aim to reclaim the title she won back-to-back in 2021 and 2022.

The list is based on this week's rankings (April 8), with 75 players receiving direct entry into the 96-player main draw. World No.69 Ashlyn Krueger of the United States received the last direct entry into the field, with No.70 Greet Minnen and No.71 Wang Yafan the first two alternates.

There are only two players ranked high enough for direct entry who are not on the entry list: World No.12 Karolina Muchova, due to her continuing wrist injury, and No.58 Petra Kvitova, who is pregnant and on maternity leave.

All of the world's Top 10 players are scheduled to appear in Rome, including World No.2 and reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, and World No.3 and reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff.

Eight players are on the main-draw entry list via special ranking, including two new moms who are also multiple-Grand Slam champions and former World No.1 players: Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber.

The former Internazionali BNL d'Italia champions on the main-draw entry list are Rybakina, Swiatek, Karolina Pliskova (2019) and Elina Svitolina (2017 and 2018).

Last year's runner-up Anhelina Kalinina is included on the main-draw entry list, along with other former finalists Ons Jabeur, Madison Keys and Victoria Azarenka.

Three Italians received direct entry on their home soil: No.14 Jasmine Paolini (this year's WTA 1000 Dubai champion), No.46 Lucia Bronzetti and No.55 Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

You can view the entire main-draw entry list at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia website here.