Following a two-month absence with a back injury, Maya Joint makes her WTA Tour return at the Italian Open in Rome this week.
She is one of six Australians who have earned direct entry into the combined ATP-WTA 1000 tournament, with Rinky Hijikata and Ajla Tomljanovic hoping to win their final qualifying matches on Tuesday.
Joint joins Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin, Aleksandar Vukic, Talia Gibson and Daria Kasatkina in the main draw.
The Australian women's No.1 last competed at Indian Wells in March and will be hoping to recapture her claycourt form from last year in time for Roland Garros later this month. The world No.34 held a 13-5 record on the red dirt in 2025, which included her maiden WTA crown in Rabat, Morocco.
> READ: Joint reigns supreme in Rabat
Joint, like De Minaur, receives a first-round bye, and will face either Switerzland’s Viktorija Golubic, or a yet-to-be-determined qualifier.
Kasatkina enters the Rome event in strong form, emerging victorious at the WTA 125 tournament in La Bisbal d’Emporda, Spain last week. It was her first title since October 2024, and the world No.66 looks to build more momentum on her most productive surface.
In the first round Kasatkina faces American Caty McNally, whom she defeated in their only encounter in Cleveland in 2021.
Arguably the most intriguing first-round match involving an Australian is Popyrin’s encounter with local Matteo Berrettini. Despite a 3-1 head-to-head record favouring Berrettini, Popyrin has reached three claycourt quarterfinals – Monte Carlo, Geneva and Houston – since April 2025, while also making the round of 16 at Roland Garros 2025.
He could set up an enticing match-up with Jakub Mensik in the second round, should he defeat Berrettini.
Hijikata and Tomljanovic will boost Australia’s main-draw contingent to eight should they beat Nikoloz Basilashvili and Leolia Jeanjean, respectively.
Meanwhile, on the ATP Challenger Tour, five Australians will compete in singles action in Wuxi, China, with Adam Walton headlining the field as the top seed.
John-Patrick Smith is the men’s doubles No.1 seed alongside Brazilian Fernando Romboli at the Challenger event in Francavilla al Mare, Italy.
On the WTA 125 circuit, Storm Hunter features in singles and doubles in Istanbul, while Taylah Preston is the singles No.2 seed in the hardcourt tournament in Jiangxi, China.
Aussies in action
(World rankings in parentheses)
ATP/WTA ROME 1000
Aussies in men’s singles: Alex de Minaur (No.8), Alexei Popyrin (No.60), Aleksandar Vukic (No.99)
Aussies in men’s singles qualifying: Rinky Hijikata (No.96)
Aussies in men’s doubles: To be announced
Aussies in women’s singles: Maya Joint (No.34), Talia Gibson (No.62), Daria Kasatkina (No.66)
Aussies in women’s singles qualifying: Ajla Tomljanovic (No.88)
Aussies in women’s doubles: To be announced
ISTANBUL WTA 125
Aussies in women’s singles: Storm Hunter (No.199)
Aussies in women’s doubles: Storm Hunter (with Erin Routliffe)
JIANGXI WTA 125
Aussies in women’s singles: Taylah Preston (No.126), Lizette Cabrera (No.305), Elena Micic (No.345)
Aussies in women’s doubles: Alexandra Osborne (with Zheng Wushuang), Tenika McGiffin/Gabriella Da Silva-Fick, Elena Micic (with Eri Shimizu)
WUXI ATP CHALLENGER 100
Aussies in men’s singles: Adam Walton (No.103), Dane Sweeny (No.135), Alex Bolt (No.138), Bernard Tomic (No.194), James McCabe (No.233)
Aussies in men’s doubles: Jake Delaney (with Yuta Shimizu), Calum Puttergill/Dane Sweeny, Kody Pearson (with Huang Tsung-hao), Bernard Tomic (with Luca Castelnuovo)
FRANCAVILLA AL MARE ATP CHALLENGER 75
Aussies in men’s doubles: John-Patrick Smith (with Fernando Romboli), Blake Bayldon (with Mick Veldheer)
BRAZZAVILLE ATP CHALLENGER 50
Aussies in men’s singles: Lawrence Bataljin (No.1677), Adrian Arcon (No.2229)
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Aussies in men’s doubles: Adrian Arcon (with Matt Kleiman), Lawrence Bataljin (with George Gregoriou)