Elena Rybakina takes on Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open on Wednesday. Rybakina has enjoyed an impressive run in Rome, continuing her stellar clay-court record. But Svitolina has also hardly broken a sweat en route to the last eight, and will have her sights set on upsetting the world No. 2 in the quarterfinals.
Elena Rybakina vs Elina Svitolina Match Details
Date: May 13, 2026
Tournament: Italian Open 2026
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Surface: Outdoor Clay
Category: WTA 1000
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, Sky Sports, TSN
Rybakina vs Svitolina: Head-to-Head Record
Rybakina holds a 4-3 lead in the head-to-head, although Svitolina has a 2-1 lead on clay. The last time they met was at the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in March, and Rybakina claimed a 7-5, 6-4 win.
Svitolina goes into this quarterfinal clash having dropped just 12 games across her opening three matches in Rome. She claimed an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 win over Hailey Baptiste in the third round, and dispatched Nikola Bartůňková 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth.
Aside from an early exit in Madrid, Svitolina has been one of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour this year. The 31-year-old holds a 25-7 win-loss record, with this being her sixth quarterfinal appearance of the year.
Rybakina is also enjoying an excellent season and has lost just once on clay so far. She won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix last month, before bowing out in the fourth round in Madrid. But she has found her groove again in Rome, claiming straight-sets wins over Maria Sakkari, Alexandra Eala, and Karolína Plíšková en route to the last eight.
Rybakina vs Svitolina: Prediction and Pick
This match is very hard to predict, as both players are enjoying strong seasons. Both players have also tasted plenty of success in Rome, with Rybakina triumphing in 2023 and Svitolina a two-time champion and a three-time quarterfinalist.
The Ukrainian has delivered some near-perfect performances so far at the Italian Open and has been utterly dominant on her returns. One worrying sign is that she has faced 23 break-point opportunities on her serve, which she will have to improve on if she wants to stand a chance against an aggressive returner like Rybakina.
The 2026 Australian Open champion has been solid as ever on her serve in Rome and is slightly less prone to making mistakes.
This is shaping up to be a compelling match between a relentless, aggressive player in Rybakina and a shrewd defensive operator in Svitolina.
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The current form gives Rybakina a slight edge, but Svitolina’s grit and resilience mean that she can never be counted out. This match could well be decided on who can win the big points, and we are backing the world No. 2 to prevail.
Pick – Rybakina in three sets.
