2023 champion returns to Foro Italico!
Competing in just her second clay court tournament in 2025, Elena Rybakina is set to face Eva Lys of Germany in Round-2 of the Italian Open in Rome. Lys came through a comfortable opening round against Moyuka Uchijima – the breakout star at the Madrid Open last week. The 23-year-old needed just 55 minutes to emerge a 6-1 6-0 winner over the Japanese sensation. Can Rybakina find some much-needed form in just her third match since the beginning of April?
Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina has been going through some onerous times on tour. The Russian-born Kazakh powerhouse was dealing with some coaching troubles, and is yet to win a title this year. She will be looking to improve on her season-best semifinal finish. For Lys, a Round of 16 outing at the 2025 Australian Open kick-started a positive season which has seen her achieve a career-high ranking of No. 63 in the world.
Elena Rybakina and Eva Lys share a 0-0 head to head record on the WTA Tour. Friday’s Round of 64 clash will be the first meeting between the two players.
It will be a contest of contrasting styles when Rybakina and Lys lock horns. It is unlikely that the German will match Rybakina’s power and baseline domination. However, her impressive court coverage and ability to slow down the pace of the game can work in her favour.
| Elena Rybakina | Category | Eva Lys |
| 1 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 8 | WTA Singles Titles | 0 |
| 0 | WTA Doubles Titles | 0 |
| 2 | WTA-1000 Titles | 0 |
| SF (Tokyo 2020) | Olympics Best Performance | – |
| No. 12 | Current World Ranking | No. 63 |
Rybakina will be determined to prove herself on the red dirt. The 25-year-old is a two-time quarterfinalist at Roland Garros. Having withdrawn from last year’s Rome Masters, she will know that it is the perfect opportunity to grab some crucial ranking points. Watch out for the serve plus one tactic of the former World No. 3 in this encounter. Considering the 5’5” height of Lys, Rybakina can stretch her out using her strong serve and keep the points short.
Prediction: Elena Rybakina in straight sets.
The markets suggest a strong chance of Elena Rybakina pulling off a straight sets victory. There isn’t much of a fluctuation, meaning that the Kazakhstan player is likely to take home the win.
Elena Rybakina Win: -700
Eva Lys Win: +450
(According to BetMGM)
