Jelena Ostapenko, the world No. 36 from Latvia, arrives at Rome on clay where she has shown mixed form in recent matches. The Latvian has split her last five outings, with losses to Andreeva, Potapova, and Ruse, though she recorded wins against Stefanini and Waltert. This marks Ostapenko's first career meeting against Garbine Ruse, so there is no established head-to-head record between the pair on any surface.

Garbine Ruse, ranked No. 67 from Romania, enters the Rome clay tournament with variable recent results including wins over Dodin and Ruzic alongside losses to Kraus, Rybakina, and Andreeva. Ruse holds a recent edge over Ostapenko, having defeated the Latvian 2–1 in their last encounter, though this will be their first official career meeting in a main draw. The Romanian will look to build on that victory on a surface where consistency has been challenging in her recent matches.