Day four at WTA Rome sees the end of second-round action in Rome. With several of the draw’s more compelling players stepping onto the Foro Italico clay, there’s plenty to dig into. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Swiatek vs Caty McNally. But who will advance?
WTA Rome Day 4 Predictions
Naomi Osaka vs Eva Lys
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Osaka showed fine form in Madrid before going down to Sabalenka in three sets, reaching the round of 16 with wins over Osorio and Kalinina. Her serve remains her most potent weapon on clay, winning points at a strong clip on the surface, though her return game and movement are still areas she openly admits she is working on.
Lys won her second clay-court match of the season in the first round, defeating Katie Boulter in three sets, needing five match points to seal it. The German showed a good fight, but her clay-court experience at this level is limited. Osaka’s power and serve give her a significant edge in what should be a straightforward contest for the seeded player.
Prediction: Osaka in 2
Karolina Muchova vs Anastasia Potapova
Head-to-Head: Muchova 4-1 Potapova
Muchova has had her best start to a season to date in 2026, going 18-4 and winning a maiden WTA 1000 title, and she reached the Stuttgart final before losing to Rybakina, rising to world No. 11 in the process. She skipped Madrid but arrives to WTA Rome well-rested and with no clay points to defend.
Potapova was a Madrid semifinalist and showed she is in strong form, rallying past Galfi in the first round here after dropping the opening set. She will give Muchova a competitive match, but the Czech’s variety of game and dominant head-to-head record on this surface make her the clear pick to advance.
Prediction: Muchova in 3
Leylah Fernandez vs Rebeka Masarova
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Fernandez ended a nearly two-year drought without a WTA 1000 quarterfinal by reaching the last eight in Madrid, with wins over Grabher, Jovic, and Ann Li along the way. She ultimately fell to Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, but that run showed a player who has genuinely found her feet on clay this spring.
Masarova came through two qualifying rounds and then defeated Selekhmeteva in the first round, and she carries a solid overall record on the surface. Still, she is ranked outside the top 150 and faces a seeded opponent playing some of her best clay tennis in years. Fernandez’s left-handed game, improved consistency, and momentum from Madrid are too much for Masarova to overcome here.
Prediction: Fernandez in 2
Madison Keys vs Peyton Stearns
Head-to-Head: Stearns 2-0 Keys
Stearns has historically thrived on red clay, and her only two WTA tour finals have come on the surface. She beat Janice Tjen in the first round to set up this rematch with Keys at this stage of WTA Rome from last year.
Keys has gone 3-1 on clay this year, with a run to the Charleston semifinal as her best showing. The American is capable of big ball-striking on any surface but has not played since Charleston, raising questions about her match sharpness. Stearns owns the head-to-head, is in better recent rhythm, and has repeatedly shown that Rome’s red clay suits her game. Her superior timing coming into this match should prove the difference.
Prediction: Stearns in 3
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch – Imagn Images