
The clay court portion of the WTA season resumes in full with the 2024 Rome Open, a fan-favorite event that is scheduled to run from May 7-19, 2024 in Rome, Italy.
A WTA 1000 event, the Rome Open takes place a few weeks before Roland Garros. The historic tournament will see 19 of the top 20 players in the world compete for the prestigious title. The singles field features 96 players, including eight wild cards and 12 qualifiers. The doubles main draw will have 32 teams, including three wild-card pairings.
Rybakina to face tough competition in title defense
Read also
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina captured the second WTA 1000 title of her career last year in Rome. The Kazakh star has been in great form this season, finishing runner-up in Miami and lifting the title in Stuttgart a few weeks ago. Rybakina will have to battle past several talented clay court specialists, with World No.1 Iga Swiatek penciled in as the top seed at this year's edition. The Polish star will be joined by World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka and World No.3 Coco Gauff, who have both proven their mettle on the red surface.
Prior to Elena Rybakina winning it in 2023, Iga Swiatek was the dominant force in the prior two editions winning it in 2021 and 2022 respectively. This featured one of her most emphatic wins on the surface defeating Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0 in the final. The Queen of the Clay will look to resume that dominance this season after injury concerns last year. Previously it was won by Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova, Elina Svitolina twice, Serena Williams four time, Maria Sharapova thrice.
Also by others in the intervening years including Amelie Mauresmo, Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters and Dinara Safina stretching all the way back to the start of the open era in 1969. Legends including Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Steffi Graf and Conchita Martinez sealed it prior to 2000. One of the prestigious stops on the clay court calendar will again stop off in 2024 for another edition in the pre cursor to Roland Garros.
Based on the large number of talented players at the event, the Rome Open will offer a lucrative prize money pool of $5,509,771. The champion will leave with €699,690, as well as 1000 WTA ranking points.
Unlike the Madrid Open, this tournament is yet to offer equal prize money. All tournaments will have to make the effort to do so by 2025, but this reflects in the difference in prize money accrued by Rybakina and Medvedev for instance last year. Below is the full breakdown.
PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWN AND POINTS DISTRIBUTION
| Winner | 1,000 | €699,690 |
| Finals | 650 | €365,015 |
| SF | 400 | €192,405 |
| Quarter Finals | 200 | €99,160 |
| Round 16 | 100 | €52,480 |
| Round 32 | 50 | €30,435 |
| Round 64 | 30 | €16,965 |
| R96 | 10 | €10,495 |
Prize Money History including percentage increase/decrease
| Year | WTA | % Change |
| 2024 | €4,791,105 | 34.11% |
| 2023 | €3,572,618 | 41.36% |
| 2022 | €2,527,250 | 60.19% |
| 2021 | €1,577,613 | -6.77% |
| 2020 | €1,692,169 | -50.99% |
| 2019 | €3,452,538 | 27.73% |
| 2018 | €2,703,000 | -12.14% |
| 2017 | €3,076,495 | 28.24% |
| 2016 | €2,399,000 | 0.00% |
| 2015 | €2,399,000 | 13.16% |
| 2014 | €2,120,000 | -11.63% |
| 2013 | €2,399,000 | 10.74% |
| 2012 | €2,166,400 | 5.68% |
| 2011 | €2,050,000 | 2.50% |
| 2010 | €2,000,000 | 0.00% |
| 2009 | €2,000,000 |
WTA Previous Winners - Rome Open (from 2000)
2023: Elena Rybakina def. Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 1-0 Ret
2022: Iga Swiatek def. Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2
2021: Iga Swiatek def. Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0
2020: Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019: Karolina Pliskova def. Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4
2018: Elina Svitolina def. Simona Halep 6-0, 6-4
2017: Elina Svitolina def. Simona Halep 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
2016: Serena Williams def. Madison Keys 7-6(5), 6-3
2015: Maria Sharapova def. Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
2014: Serena Williams def. Sara Errani 6-3, 6-0
2013: Serena Williams def. Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3
2012: Maria Sharapova def. Li Na 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5)
2011: Maria Sharapova def. Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-4
2010: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez def. Jelena Jankovic 7-6(5), 7-5
2009: Dinara Safina def. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2
2008: Jelena Jankovic def. Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-2
2007: Jelena Jankovic def. Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 6-1
2006: Martina Hingis def. Dinara Safina 6-2, 7-5
2005: Amelie Mauresmo def. Patty Schnyder 6-3, 6-4
2004: Amelie Mauresmo def. Jennifer Capriati 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2)
2003: Kim Clijsters def. Amelie Mauresmo 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
2002: Serena Williams def. Justine Henin 7-6(6), 6-4
2001: Jelena Dokic def. Amelie Mauresmo 7-6(3), 6-1
2000: Monica Seles def. Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-3
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Vacherot is Mongasque, rather than Swiss. The tournament was Swiss :DTrwd7702-11-2026
- After a couple decades traveling to IIHF tourneys overseas... our family is done with it... and I will not be the only one!! Bad enough the NHL allows Ovachenko (a Putin Supporter and Campaigner) to live and play in the USA. Let's not forget the STATE SPONSORED RUSSIAN DOPING PROGRAMS still in effect today.
mandoist31-10-2026 - Osaka's mental state apparently does not allow her to reach any more Quarter Finals? I mean, she doesn't really have the time for tennis with all the pre-planning that must go into her 12 year-old "fashion" goals.
mandoist29-10-2026 - With her money one would think she could afford a better team of Psychiatrists?
mandoist29-10-2026 - Boss move, Sinner !Rapunzel27-10-2026
- Apparently still refusing to seek 'help' ...and still playing Dress-Up like a 10 year-old.
mandoist27-10-2026 - Lena... Takin' care of business
mandoist25-10-2026 - Can you please stop publishing this nonsense? Stick to Tennis.
mandoist25-10-2026 - Does Sinner need that 4.5 mil? I doubt it. He can make that with three modelling gigs!😅🤣Rapunzel21-10-2026
- Did "People Magazine" purchase this website? This nonstop storyline is bullshit.
mandoist21-10-2026







