ROME, May 5. /TASS/. Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova has cleared the opening round of the 2025 Italian Open tennis tournament on Tuesday defeating Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.

In a match that lasted for little over three hours, Zakharova, who is playing under a neutral status at the tournament, lost the first set, then battled back to take the match 4-6; 7;5; 7-6 (8-6). She is now to play in the next round against 13-seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.

Zakharova, 24, is currently ranked 81st in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Rankings, with zero career titles to her name. Her best result playing at the Grand Slam tournament series was to reach the third round of the 2024 Australian Open.

Yastremska, 25, is 52nd today in the WTA Rankings. She is a three-time WTA champion. Her best result playing at the Grand Slam tournaments series was to advance to the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open.

The 2026 Italian Open tennis tournament is a WTA 1000 event. Played on outdoor clay courts, the 83rd edition of the tourney takes place at Rome’s Foro Italico sports complex on May 5-17. The tournament’s reigning champion is Jasmine Paolini from Italy. Only two Russian female tennis players have won this tournament - Dinara Safina (in 2009) and Maria Sharapova (in 2011, 2012, 2015).

Russian players’ neutral status at tennis tournaments

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC's recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ruled on March 1, 2022 to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis federations while also canceling all previously scheduled tennis tournaments in the two countries.

On March 14, 2022, the ITF also confirmed its prohibition on the Russian and Belarusian national tennis teams from taking part in the 2022 Davis Cup and 2022 Billie Jean King Cup.

However, the Women Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) allowed tennis players from Russia and Belarus to continue participating in WTA and ATP tournaments, but only under a neutral status.