5 things we learned from Rome: Andreeva moves into a tie for WTA win lead; Zheng survives
No. 8 seed Mirra Andreeva and China’s Zheng Qinwen advanced to the third round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome on Thursday, each coming through in straight sets. Andreeva did it comfortably, while Zheng had to navigate a tighter contest. Here are five takeaways from their wins.
Andreeva ties Rybakina for most wins this season
Andreeva cruised past Antonia Ruzic 6-1, 6-0 in the second round in 1 hour, six minutes on Thursday. The victory marked her 27th win of the season on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, tying Elena Rybakina for the most wins in 2026.
Rybakina could regain sole possession of the lead when she plays her second-round match against Maria Sakkari on Friday, while world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka could also reach 27 wins with a victory over Barbora Krejcikova later Thursday.
Andreeva remains unbeaten against players outside the top 50
Andreeva’s win over the 59th-ranked Ruzic maintained her perfect record against players ranked outside the top 50 this season.
The 19-year-old, who reached the Madrid final last week, improved to 14-0 in such matches in 2026. She will next face either No. 29 seed Maya Joint or 90th-ranked Viktorija Golubic.
Andreeva continues to dominate on return games
Andreeva leads the WTA Tour in break points converted this season with 165 in main-draw matches. She converted six of her 12 break-point opportunities against Ruzic on Thursday.
Zheng’s comeback continues to gain momentum
After missing the Australian Open, Zheng began her season in Doha, and Rome marks the fifth tournament of her comeback campaign. The former world No. 5 defeated No. 30 seed Cristina Bucsa 7-6, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the third round.
Into Round 3️⃣
— wta (@WTA) May 7, 2026
Zheng Qinwen moves past Bucsa in straight sets, 7-6(6), 6-2!#IBI26 pic.twitter.com/RCRRyS0vyg
It is the third time in five events this season that Zheng has won back-to-back matches. She will now aim to win three matches at the same tournament for the first time since last year’s French Open.
Zheng holds winning records against possible next opponents
Zheng will next face either No. 6 seed Amanda Anisimova or Jelena Ostapenko.
The Chinese player owns winning head-to-head records against both opponents, leading Anisimova 2-1 and Ostapenko 3-0. Regardless of who advances, it will be Zheng’s first clay-court meeting against either player.
