Sofia Kenin vs Bianca Andreescu Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Former major champions clash in Rome opener

Andrew Hendrie

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Last updated: Tue 05 May 2026 01:28

Andrew Hendrie 05 May 2026

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Sofia Kenin vs Bianca Andreescu predictions for Tuesday's WTA Rome R1 match
Battle of former Grand Slam champions - last four meetings have ended in straights
Kenin was a 6-4 6-4 winner over Andreescu earlier this year on clay - offers value
The match is scheduled to start around 9.00pm AEST on Tuesday May 5

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Sofia Kenin (Photo by Getty Images)

Sofia Kenin vs Bianca Andreescu Tips, Prediction & Live Stream

Former Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Bianca Andreescu are both in desperate need of a win when they square off in the Italian Open first round in Rome on Tuesday.

Sofia Kenin vs Bianca Andreescu Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
Kenin vs Andreescu Stats & Trends
Kenin vs Andreescu Head To Head
Sofia Kenin Form Analysis
Bianca Andreescu Form Analysis
Kenin vs Andreescu Live Stream

Kenin has been struggling for a while now and is currently ranked outside the top 70, while Andreescu has endured a horror run with injuries since her stunning 2019 US Open triumph. How times have changed, with the pair set to lock horns for the sixth time in the opening round of Rome.

It's obviously hard to get a read on both players, but I'm going to take a punt on Kenin as the slight underdog, along with a straight sets victory for either player.

The last four meetings between the pair have ended in straight sets (including a 6-4 6-4 win for the American on the green clay of Charleston last month), while Kenin is simply the more reliable when it comes to match fitness - Andreescu's body can break down at any time and she was last seen losing a deciding set 6-0 against No. 111 Yue Yuan, which isn't a great sign heading into this tournament.

Kenin is a former French Open finalist and she took a set off Qinwen Zheng in Madrid in her last tournament - she has the ability to bunker down with superior rally tolerance and that could prove the difference on this surface.

Kenin vs Andreescu Stats & Trends

Kenin has won her last three R1 Rome matches
Andreescu is 3-5 at tour-level in 2026
Andreescu has lost eight of her last nine matches vs top 100 players
Kenin is 5-2 in her last seven WTA 1000 first round matches
Kenin has won seven of her last 10 matches vs players outside the top 100

Kenin vs Andreescu Head To Head

Andreescu leads 3-2 in completed matches, but Kenin was victorious when they pair squared off in Charleston last month.

Year	Tournament	Surface	Round	Winner	Score
2026	Charleston	Clay	Round of 32	Sofia Kenin	6–4, 6–4
2023	Miami	Hard	Round of 32	Bianca Andreescu	6–4, 6–4
2019	Toronto	Hard	Semifinals	Bianca Andreescu	6–4, 7–6(5)
2019	Roland Garros	Clay	Round of 64	—	—
2019	Miami	Hard	Round of 64	Bianca Andreescu	6–3, 6–3
2019	Acapulco	Hard	Semifinals	Sofia Kenin	6–4, 3–6, 7–5

Sofia Kenin Form Analysis

2026 Record: 3-10
WTA Rome Record: 7-6
Current Ranking: No. 74
Career-High Ranking: No. 4 (2020)

It's been a big fall from grace for Kenin - she was named WTA Player of the Year back in 2020 after she won the Australian Open and finished runner-up at Roland Garros.

A few injuries have contributed to her rankings slide, but Kenin's confidence has been shattered and she doesn't really look like getting back to challenging for major titles.

Kenin went on a seven-match losing streak from Adelaide to Miami on hardcourt earlier this season, but a switch to clay has seen a slight upturn in results.

The 27-year-old has won her first round at her last two tournaments in Charleston and Madrid, beating Andreescu and Ashlyn Krueger respectively, while she also took a set off Zheng in Madrid.

Bianca Andreescu Form Analysis

2026 Record: 3-5
WTA Rome Record: 6-3
Current Ranking: No. 137
Career-High Ranking: No. 4 (2019)

It's hard to believe there was a time when Andreescu and Kenin could have been a long-standing rivalry at the top of the game.

Andreescu also hit a career-high ranking of No. 4 after a sensational 2019 campaign that saw her win titles at Indian Wells, Canada and the US Open.

However, injuries have wreaked havoc on the Canadian's career ever since as she continues her latest attempt at a return to the top of the game.

Currently No. 137 in the world, it's been a tough slog for Andreescu, who has primarily competed in ITF and WTA 125 events in 2026.

The 25-year-old went down to Fiona Ferro in the first round of Oeiras and suffered a second round exit in Saint Malo last week to Yue Yuan in what has been a disappointing European clay swing to date.