Emma Raducanu faces a potential rematch with Coco Gauff in the third round of the Rome Open, with the American responsible for her fourth-round exit at the tournament last year.

The British No 1 has not played since Indian Wells in March after struggling to shake off a viral illness, and has yet to play a clay-court match this season.

Her stop-start beginning to 2026 was complicated by an injury to her right hand, which she cited as her reason for pulling out of last week’s Madrid Open.

But she is slated to take part in Rome. She will begin her campaign in the second round – after receiving a first-round bye – against either world No 72 Solana Sierra or a qualifier.

All of the WTA top 20 are taking part in the final WTA 1000 event before the French Open, where Gauff is the reigning champion. The American will face either Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva or Czech teenager Tereza Valentova in her opening match in Rome.

Should Raducanu replicate her strong run in Rome last year, her likeliest opponent in the quarter-finals would be world No 8 Mirra Andreeva, who has enjoyed a brilliant clay season so far, winning the Linz Open and finishing runner-up in Madrid.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka – who has been drawn in Raducanu’s half – willl play either 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, who is returning from injury, or Elsa Jacquemot. Defending champion Jasmine Paolini has been drawn in the same quarter as Gauff, Raducanu and Andreeva.

Four-time Roland-Garros champion Iga Swiatek has yet to reach her usual heights this season and faces a tough draw in Rome, with Emma Navarro potentially awaiting in the third round and Naomi Osaka in the fourth.

British No 3 Katie Boulter will open against Eva Lys; should she win that encounter, she will play Osaka in the second round.

In the men’s draw, British No 1 Cameron Norrie, who reached the Barcelona Open quarter-finals on clay, has a bye to the second round. Jack Draper is out for the remainder of the clay season as he continues to battle a series of injuries.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner is on a record run of five consecutive Masters 1000 titles and looking to make that six at his home Masters, while Novak Djokovic will be relieved he can only face the Italian in the final.

Sinner is aiming to replicate Djokovic’s achievement as the only man to complete the career Golden Masters – winning all nine titles at this level – with Rome the only one the 24-year-old has yet to claim.

Sinner is seeded to meet Jakub Mensik – one of the few players to beat him this year, in the Qatar Open quarter-finals – in the third round and rapidly rising Frenchman Arthur Fils, whom he defeated in the Madrid semi-finals, in the fourth.

Djokovic, who has been out of action since Indian Wells as he recovers from injury, will open against Marton Fucsovics or a qualifier.

It is a milestone, but it also has a bit of an aftertaste – due to Saudi Arabia‘s involvement.

Professional women’s tennis players are now eligible for paid maternity leave for up to 12 months. Those who have a child through surrogacy, adoption or the pregnancy of a partner is entitled to two months’ maternity leave. In addition, allowances for fertility treatment are possible. The program announced by the World Tennis Association (WTA) applies retroactively from January 1 to more than 320 female players.

It is “the first time in women’s sports history that comprehensive maternity benefits are available to independent, self-employed athletes,” the WTA announced.

The prerequisite is that they have played a certain number of WTA tournaments within a certain time window. The WTA did not provide exact details. It also remained open as to how much money the players are entitled to during maternity leave. It is to be a standardized amount that is paid regardless of the world ranking. The package is financed entirely by the Saudi state fund PIF.

As in other sports, such as football, golf or Formula 1, Saudi Arabia has been trying to get a foot in the door in tennis by investing heavily for some time. Critics see this as sportswashing, an effort by the rulers in Riyadh to use sport to distract attention from blatant human rights violations in the country.

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of female tennis players returning to the WTA tour after pregnancy and childbirth, including former Serena Williams, German Wimbledon winner Angelique Kerber, who has since retired, and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka of Japan. However, as they were among the top earners in the industry, they were not dependent on paid maternity leave – unlike lower-ranked players. According to the WTA, around 25 mothers currently play on the ATP Tour.

Global initiatives for maternity leave in sport

The WTA’s announcement is one of several recent initiatives aimed at improving the situation of pregnant athletes and coaches and making it easier for mothers to return to competitive sport.

Since the end of 2020, footballers have been entitled to maternity leave for at least 14 weeks, with at least two-thirds of their contractually agreed salary. Pregnant players are protected from dismissal. In mid-2024, the world governing body FIFA extended the regulations to include several things – including the possibility of changing clubs outside of transfer periods. Former Germany goalkeeper Almuth Schult, a mother of three, was the first player in the world to benefit from this rule.

In October 2024, the Canadian government decided to financially support top female athletes during and after pregnancy as part of the Athletes Assistance Program (AAP). To receive funds from the program, athletes must redeem special cards. Previously, pregnant athletes were forced to use their cards in the event of an injury to receive money. Now there are separate cards for pregnant women and mothers. The government is spending a total of CDN$35 million (€22.5 million, $24 million) on the AAP program over a five-year period.

There is a similar support program in the UK. There, top female athletes who are not professionals and who are expected to be successful in international competitions receive money during their pregnancy and afterwards – provided the athlete intends to compete again after a break.

Advertisement

Scholarship and health insurance for top female athletes 

In the United States, the National Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) supports top female athletes who have become mothers and want to return to sport for a year after giving birth with a one-year scholarship and health insurance. In spring 2024, the US Athletics Federation (USATF) decided to extend this support for top female athletes who want to return to sport if they want to take more than one year off.

In the North American women’s professional basketball league WNBA, players are entitled to their full basic salary during pregnancy. If you have been playing in the league for at least eight years, you can also apply for a subsidy for artificial insemination if you want to have children.

US track and field star Allyson Felix made headlines around the world in 2019 when she revealed that her sponsor Nike wanted to cut her pay by 70% after she became pregnant. After other female athletes also confirmed this practice, bringing Nike further negative headlines, the sporting goods manufacturer relented. The contracts now contain a protective clause according to which expectant mothers must not incur any financial losses for one year. 

This article was originally published in German.

Advertisement

Manchester City were on the end of a controversial decision in their 3-3 draw with Everton on Monday as the Premier League have since explained the VAR call

Manchester City have received clarification from the Premier League regarding why Everton’s opener was permitted to stand. A wayward back pass from Marc Guehi was intercepted and converted by Thierno Barry, though the linesman’s flag was swiftly raised as he had been offside when an attempted pass was played to him earlier in the move.

However, Guehi’s touch created a new phase of play, with Barry consequently deemed onside, and that ruling was reversed with the official explanation subsequently published.

The Premier League Match Centre post on X read: “#EVEMCI – 69′ The referee’s call of goal for Everton was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that there was no offside offence as Guehi deliberately played the ball.”

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our City WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our City Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

Matters then deteriorated further for City when Jake O’Brien powered home a header from a corner to completely turn the contest on its head.

Barry then steered Merlin Rohl’s wayward effort into the net to make it 3-1, with the striker just about remaining onside.

From City’s restart, Erling Haaland pulled one back immediately with a deft chip over Jordan Pickford, following an outstanding pass from Mateo Kovacic.

A defeat at the Hill Dickinson Stadium would have proved devastating for City in the wake of Arsenal’s victory over Fulham on Saturday.

FOLLOW OUR MAN CITY FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester City Facebook page

Nevertheless, they managed to salvage something from their trip to Merseyside when Doku struck deep into stoppage time.

Despite the valiant effort to snatch a point, Arsenal’s advantage at the summit now stands at five points, firmly placing the Premier League title race in their hands.

The next significant encounter in the title race comes on Saturday, with City taking on Brentford. Arsenal then have the opportunity to respond just 24 hours later in their away fixture against West Ham.

The pivotal clash arrives in the following midweek as City’s match against Crystal Palace, which was initially scheduled for Carabao Cup final weekend, is set to take place.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

Advertisement

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Mikel Arteta’s men then face Burnley while City travel to Bournemouth, before the season concludes at Selhurst Park for the Gunners and City host Aston Villa.

Both Palace and Unai Emery’s side could find themselves juggling European commitments around those decisive fixtures. For Palace, a Conference League final could fall just days after they welcome Arsenal.

Villa, meanwhile, could be mere days removed from a Europa League final, though they must first overturn a 1-0 deficit from their semi-final first leg against Nottingham Forest.

Match Details

Fixture: Taylor Townsend vs Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Tournament: Italian Open 2026

Round: Qualification Round 2

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Outdoor clay

Venue: Foro Italico, Rome

Prize Money: $8,312,293 (approx.)

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN

Taylor Townsend vs Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva preview

Taylor Townsend comes into Rome after a very strong clay swing, mainly in doubles but also with a solid singles rhythm. In the Madrid Open 2026, she lifted the doubles title alongside Katerina Siniakova, beating Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider 7–6(7–2), 6–2 in the final. That run kept her match sharp on clay. In singles, she has been playing a mix of qualifiers and early-round matches across events.

Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva has spent most of her 2026 clay season at the ITF level, building consistency. She has picked up wins in smaller events and stayed active on the surface, which suits her baseline game.

Over the past year on clay, she reached finals like the W75 Lisboa event, where she beat Guiomar Maristany 6–4, 6–2 to win the title, and also pushed players deep in matches in events like Otočec, where she lost a tight three-set final 6–1, 4–6, 5–7.

Taylor Townsend vs Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva head-to-head

Townsend and Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva have never faced each other on tour before, so this will be their first career meeting.

Taylor Townsend vs Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva odds

These odds are sourced via BetMGM.

Taylor Townsend vs Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva prediction

Townsend is coming into this match without much momentum in singles on clay. At the Madrid Open 2026, she lost in the first round to Katie Boulter 6–4, 6–2, where she struggled to control rallies and was broken multiple times. Earlier in the season at the Miami Open, she also went out in three sets to Jasmine Paolini, 6–3, 1–6, 6–2.

Her main success this year has come in doubles, including a title run in Madrid, but in singles, she has not put together back-to-back wins on clay.

Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva has had a more active run on clay and is getting more matches in. In Madrid, she lost to Petra Marcinko 6–0, 7–5. Earlier in the season, she also beat Katie Boulter in a three-set match 2–6, 7–5, 6–2 during qualifying, which is a useful comparison given Boulter beat Townsend comfortably in Madrid. On top of that, she had a deep run in Merida, where she beat Magda Linette 5–7, 7–6, 7–5 in a long match.

Taylor Townsend has the bigger serve and more experience, but her recent singles results on clay have not been convincing. Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva is getting more matches, looks more comfortable in long rallies, and has already come through tight three-set matches this season.

Prediction: Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva to win in three sets.

Taylor Townsend vs Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva tips

Tip 1: First set over 9.5 games.

Tip 2: Total games over 20.5.