Russia’s top female tennis player Andreeva through to fourth round of 2026 Italian Open

ROME, May 10. /TASS/. Russia’s top racquet Mirra Andreeva advanced to the fourth round of the 2026 Italian Open tennis tournament after defeating Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland. In a match that lasted less than two hours, the 8th-seeded Andreeva, who is playing under a neutral status at the tournament, outplayed her unseeded Swiss opponent 6-1; 4-6; 6;0. The Russian is now set to play in the next round against 21st-seed Elise Mertens from Belgium. Andreeva, 19, is a five-time WTA champion and is currently the 8th-ranked player in the world. Her best finish at Grand Slams was at the 2024 French Open when she reached the semifinals. In 2023, the WTA named Andreeva rookie of the year. Playing at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, she won a silver medal in women’s doubles paired with Diana Shnaider. The 2026 Italian Open tennis tournament is a WTA 1000 event. Played on outdoor clay courts, the 83rd edition of the tourney takes place at Rome’s Foro Italico sports complex on May 5-17. The tournament’s reigning champion is Jasmine Paolini from Italy. Only two Russian female tennis players have won this tournament - Dinara Safina (in 2009) and Maria Sharapova (in 2011, 2012, 2015). On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine as the reason. Following the IOC's recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ruled on March 1, 2022 to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis federations while also canceling all previously scheduled tennis tournaments in the two countries. On March 14, 2022, the ITF also confirmed its prohibition on the Russian and Belarusian national tennis teams from taking part in the 2022 Davis Cup and 2022 Billie Jean King Cup. However, the Women Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) allowed tennis players from Russia and Belarus to continue participating in WTA and ATP tournaments, but only under a neutral status.