The WTA draw at Rome has lost two significant names before the main draw even begins. Marta Kostyuk, crowned champion in Madrid just 48 hours ago, announced her withdrawal from the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Tuesday due to a right hip injury. Emma Raducanu has also pulled out, still dealing with a persistent post-viral illness.

For Kostyuk, the timing is particularly harsh. The 23-year-old Ukrainian was riding an eleven-match winning streak on clay, capped by a maiden WTA 1000 title in Madrid where she defeated Jessica Pegula, Linda Noskova and Mirra Andreeva in the final (6-3, 7-5). She had been chasing a Madrid-Rome double that only Dinara Safina, Serena Williams and Iga Swiatek have achieved.

"After the best stretch of my career, I was looking forward to Rome. But sometimes your body has other plans," Kostyuk said, noting she is also managing an ankle that has not fully recovered. Jaqueline Cristian replaces her in the draw as the 33rd seed.

Raducanu's situation raises more questions. The British number one has not played a WTA match since Indian Wells in early March, battling the lingering effects of a chest infection picked up in February. She had already skipped Linz and Madrid before Rome. What made her withdrawal particularly striking was its timing: just minutes earlier, she had completed her pre-tournament media duties, telling reporters she felt "great on the court" and was "hungry and happy to be out here."

Six weeks without competition and zero clay-court matches in 2026 leave the 2021 US Open champion in a difficult position three weeks before Roland-Garros. Strasbourg or Rabat remain her only options to find some match rhythm before Paris.

With Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, Taylor Fritz, Holger Rune and already confirmed out, Rome's total withdrawal count now exceeds fifteen, an unwelcome record ahead of the season's second Grand Slam.