The draw for the 2025 Italian Open has been confirmed, with British duo Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper being among the players to discover their fates on Monday.
Taking place immediately after the Madrid Open, the latest ATP and WTA 1000 tournament serves as another opportunity for players to get invaluable clay-court minutes under their belt in time for the French Open.
This year's edition of the Masters tournament will mark the long-awaited return of world number one Jannik Sinner from a doping suspension, and as one of the seeded players, the home favourite receives a bye into the second round.
There, Sinner will meet either Mariano Navone or Italian wildcard Federico Cina, and he could be on course to meet newly-crowned Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals.
Ruud overcame British number one Draper in Sunday's Madrid final, and the latter - who enters the tournament as the fifth seed - will meet Luciano Darderi or Bu Yunchaokete in the second round.
Draper on course for Carlos Alcaraz quarter-final
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Should Draper navigate his way to another Masters quarter-final, he could find himself up against good friend Carlos Alcaraz once again; the Spaniard meets either Yoshihito Nishioka or Jan-Lennard Struff first up.
Draper is just one of two British men to earn direct entry into the main draw alongside Jacob Fearnley, who takes on Fabio Fognini in the first round for the chance to face Matteo Berrettini in the second stage.
Elsewhere, defending champion Alexander Zverev will take on Argentina's Camilo Ugo Carabelli or a qualifier in his opening tie, while there is an all-American first-round battle between Learner Tien and Reilly Opelka, entering via a protected ranking.
On the women's side, Raducanu will also meet an as yet unknown qualifier in her first-round tie, and the winner of that contest will take on Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round.
Raducanu - who was knocked out by Marta Kostyuk in the second round in Madrid - is on a collision course to take on Coco Gauff in the last 16, and she is one of three British women guaranteed to compete in the main draw.
Katie Boulter faces possible Aryna Sabalenka showdown
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Katie Boulter is up against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova first up, and the British number one faces a daunting path to glory if she can triumph in that first-round match with the Russian.
Either Boulter or Pavlyuchenkova will meet former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in the second round, while world number one Aryna Sabalenka could then await in the third round.
Meanwhile, Sonay Kartal has been drawn to meet Australia's Kimberly Birrell in her opening tie, which will precede a second-round match with Linda Noskova and possible third-round clash with Mirra Andreeva.
Elsewhere, second seed Iga Swiatek will clash with Elina Avanesyan or Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second round, while Naomi Osaka could take on Paula Badosa in a second-round blockbuster.
Ben Knapton
