For Italian Men Like Berrettini, There’s No Place Like Rome

Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini (photo: Tullio Puglia/FITP)

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 7, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

There’s no place like home. Just ask Italian favorite Matteo Berrettini, who feels very much at ease playing at Foro Italico in the Eternal City of Rome – his hometown. However, sometimes there can be pressure and expectations that goes with the sense of being at ease. After all, an Italian man hasn’t won a title in Rome since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

On Thursday, the 100th-ranked Berrettini was given a featured lead-off position on Campo Centrale, where he played his first-round match in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia against No. 60 Alexei Popyrin of Australia. There was tremendous fan support for Berrettini. However, in his seventh Italian Open appearance, Berrettini went out in the first round after losing to Popyrin, 6-2, 6-3, in an hour and 29 minutes. 

Berrettini, who earned his best result in Rome by reaching the 2020 quarterfinals and led his head-to-head with Popyrin going in 3-1, was unable to get on track against the 26-year-old Australian. The Roman’s serve was broken three times in eight tries by Popyrin in their first encounter on clay. Popyrin hit 12 winners and benefited from 18 unforced errors by Berrettini. By the end, he outpointed Berrettini 60-46 to advance to the second round against No. 26 seed Jakub Mensik of Czechia.

It was Popyrin’s first ATP Masters 1000 victory since Cincinnati last summer. He broke an 0-6 spell at ATP Masters 1000 this season with his triumph over Berrettini.

“I think Matteo is an unbelievable player,” Popyrin said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “It’s never easy to play in front of a home crowd like that. Considering the circumstances, I think it was a very good performance by myself. Considering the year that I’ve had … I think it was a good performance.”

By any metric, it’s been an interesting – if not unusual – spring clay season for the 30-year-old, Berrettini, nicknamed “The Hammer,” whose 6-foot-5-inch, 209-pound frame cuts an imposing figure on any red-brick clay court he steps foot on.

First, last month at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Berrettini secured a double-bagel 6-0, 6-0 victory over Daniil Medvedev of Russia. Then, last week while fellow Italian and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was marching his way into the tennis history books by winning the Mutua Madrid Open for his fifth-consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title triumph, Berrettini reached the quarterfinals of the Sardegna Open in Cagliari, Italy, an ATP Challenger 175 event in which he rediscovered his competitive focus.

However, Berrettini’s serve and forehand, which gained him confidence last week in Cagliari, weren’t fully on display Thursday on Campo Centrale. He only placed 58 percent (28 of 48) of his first serves in play and won 64 percent (18 of 28) of his first-serve points against Popyrin. Berrettini finished with a pair of aces but also committed three double faults. The loss dropped his opening-round record at Foro Italico to 5-2. Although Berrettini is 26-11 on clay since the start of the 2023 season, he’s only 5-7 this season as he attempts to rebound from an abdominal muscle tear injury, which sidelined him earlier in the year.

“I felt good,” Berrettini said during his news conference, translated from Italian. “I started well … but it’s a sport that needs continuity and too many ups and downs in the long run don’t pay.

“My game is a bit all related to the energy I have and to how I approach situations. … I regret not having enjoyed the atmosphere but I don’t want to blame myself. It was a pretty bad day. Too bad I didn’t use the people’s energy to do something better. … Too bad it happened in Rome, but one can’t choose.”

While Berrettini always looks to be just a couple of wins and some confidence away from regaining the form that made him a Top-10 player, he won’t get another chance in Rome this fortnight, where his career win-loss record dropped to 8-7 with his loss to Popyrin.

Sonego unable to rekindle semifinal-run spark

Meanwhile, five years ago, Italian Lorenzo Sonego enjoyed a semifinal run that included Top-10 victories over No. 4 Dominic Thiem and No. 7 Andrey Rublev. Now, the 66th-ranked 30-year-old from Turin aimed to record his first win at Foro Italico since 2023 Thursday evening on Campo Centrale when he took on 58th-ranked Peruvian Ignacio Buse, as well as a first ATP Masters 1000 win of 2026 after bowing in the first round at Madrid. However, Buse got the best of Sonego, 6-3, 6-3, in one hour and 41 minutes to advance against No. 20 seed Frances Tiafoe of the United States.

Several other Italian men were in action around Foro Italico throughout Thursday. By the end of the day, they produced mixed results.

Qualifier Andrea Pellegrino won his ATP Masters 1000 debut against wild card Luca Nardi, winning the all-Italian battle 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 11 minutes on BNP Paribas Arena Thursday evening. The 29-year-old, 155th-ranked Pellegrino from Bisceglie rallied to beat the 151st-ranked Nardi after hitting 24 winners – 20 of them from his forehand side – and converting four of 11 break points. No. 15 seed Arthur Fils of France awaits Pellegrino in the second round.

Meanwhile 19-year-old wild card Federico Cina made his bid to be the third Italian teenager to win a men’s main draw match in Rome in this century, joining Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, as he took on Madrid semifinalist Alexander Blockx of Belgium in an afternoon match that postponed from Wednesday due to rain.

The in-form Blockx continued where he left off in Madrid and his fourth ace on match point put away Cina, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, in an hour and 59 minutes on Supertennis Arena. Despite 24 winners, the Italian teenager made 32 unforced errors. However, the Palermo native, who won the Pune Challenger earlier this season, showed a lot of promise against Blockx. There will be better days ahead for Cina.

Also, Mattia Bellucci met Argentine Roman Andres Burruchaga, while 21-year-old Gianluca Cadenasso made his ATP Tour debut against Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante.

The 80th-ranked Bellucci’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 56 Burruchaga, in one hour and 54 minutes on BNP Paribas Arena, was his first triumph in Rome after losing in the first round last year. He overcame 36 unforced errors to strike 31 winners, converted seven of eight break-point chances and outpointed his opponent 78-64.

The 24-year-old Bellucci from Busto Arsizio owns just a 3-10 ATP Masters 1000 win-loss record, and his win Thursday was his first this year after starting 0-3 in 2026. It was his first Top-60 win on clay after going 0-5. Next, he will play another Argentine, No. 24 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

However, the 183rd-ranked Cadenasso from Genova ran out of gas against No. 69 Tirante and lost 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-0, in two hours and nine minutes on Supertennis Arena. Tirante secured match point with his eighth ace to advance to the second round against No. 17 seed Cameron Norrie of Great Britain.

Sinner arrives in Rome to much fanfare

World No. 1 and top seed Jannik Sinner of Italy, who is a big favorite to end the Italian men’s drought in Rome – 50 years since Adriano Panatta won the title in 1976 –  made his first appearance on the Foro Italico grounds. He signed autographs for fans, got in a practice session that was well attended and spoke with reporters during a pre-tournament news conference.

“Yes, it’s of course nice to be here. It’s a very, very special tournament – for us Italians even more,” he said.

“I had a couple days off not doing anything. I felt like it was very much needed. Today [is the] first day again. So, first time hitting here this afternoon. So, let’s see how it goes.

“I have a couple of days to prepare. It’s not a lot, but in the same time I also know in the back of my mind that I played a lot.

“[I’m] very happy to be here. It has been a very special place since many, many years. Let’s see what is coming this year.”

Sinner, who received a first-round bye, will be in action on Saturday against No. 82 Sebastian Ofner of Austria, who upset 42nd-ranked Alex Michelsen of the United States, 6-3, 6-3, in 75 minutes on Pietrangeli Thursday evening. Ofner hit 18 winners and saved the only break point he faced from Michelsen.

Around the Foro Italico

• No. 51 Tomas Machac of Czechia battled past No. 75 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece for the second time this season, this time 6-4, 7-6 (4) in one hour and 37 minutes to advance to the second round against No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia.

Machac improved to 5-3 in ATP Masters 1000 events this season – including 4-0 in opening rounds. He’s 9-1 after winning the first set this season. Against Tsitsipas, Machac won 91 percent (42 of 46) first-serve points, converted two of five break points and outpointed his opponent 70-66.

“I was playing really great from the beginning of the match,” Machac said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “When you play Stefanos, you have to play aggressively because his forehand is very huge. I was trying to play my game. I was serving very well and I’m happy with my performance today.”

• No. 44 Mariano Navone of Argentina secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 37 Denis Shapovalov of Canada in one hour and 43 minutes on Supertennis Arena to move into the second round against another Canadian, World No. 5 and fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. Navone converted five of 15 break points and and outpointed Shapovalov 70-52 en route to his 10th victory of the season.

• Thirty-seven-year-old Marin Cilic rolled back the years and the 47th-ranked Croatian marched to a 7-5, 6-4 victory over No. 77 Marcos Giron of the United States in one hour and 46 minutes on Court 1. Cilic, a 2018 semifinalist in Rome, dropped just five points on his first serve and outpointed Giron 69-60 to earn his 19th career win in the Eternal City. Next, Cilic will face No. 14 seed Valentin Vacherot of Monaco.

• No. 51 Terence Atmane of France advanced to the second round with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Zizou Bergs of Belgium on Court 13 in an hour and 23 minutes behind 14 winners. He saved both break points he faced. Next, Atmane will face No. 10 seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy.

• No. 58 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France went the distance to beat 123rd-ranked British qualifier Jacob Fearnley, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-2, in two hours and 35 minutes on Pietrangeli. Mpetshi Perricard fired 13 aces and 32 winners overall in advancing to the second round against No. 8 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy.

• N0. 67 Hamad Medjedovic of Serbia hit 24 winners and defeated 71st-ranked Valentin Royer of France, 6-4, 6-3, in one hour and 42 minutes on Court 1. In the second round, Medjedovic will oppose No. 27 seed Joao Fonseca of Brazil.

• No. 70 Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia defeated 116th-ranked Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina, 6-2, 6-3, in one hour and 24 minutes on Pietrangeli. He took advantage of 33 unforced errors by Svrcina to move into the second round against No. 12 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia.

• No. 79 Dino Prizmic of Croatia, who reached the main draw as a qualifier, won his rain-suspended first-round match over No. 57 Marton Fucsovics of Hungary, 6-4, 6-3, in one hour and 49 minutes on Court 13. Prizmic outpointed Fucsovics 70-57 to advance to the second round against World No. 4 and third seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

• No. 98 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, who announced recently he would retire at the end of this season, began his last visit to Rome with a 6-3, 7-6 (2) win over 112th-ranked Italian wild card Francesco Maestrelli in two hours and Supertennis Arena. Bautista Agut overcame 32 winners from the 23-year-old Maestrelli to advance to the second round against No. 30 Brandon Nakashima of the United States.

• No. 104 Cristian Garin of Chile, a qualifier, advanced to the second round after defeating No. 72 Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina, 7-6 (2), 7-5, in two hours and 14 minutes on Court 1. Garin saved nine of 11 break points he faced. Next, he will oppose No. 21 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain.

• Qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia, ranked No. 117, needed two hours and two minutes and five breaks of serve to get past 86th-ranked Spanish qualifier Daniel Merida, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, on Court 2. Next, Basilashvili will play No. 5 seed Ben Shelton of the United States.

• No. 139 Pablo Llamas Ruiz of Spain, is the lowest-ranked of four qualifiers who advanced to the second round on Thursday. The 23-year-old from Jerez de la Frontera upset No. 48 Ethan Quinn of the United States, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, in two hours and 30 minutes on Court 2. He hit 24 winners and converted four of four break-points opportunities against Quinn. Next, Llamas Ruiz will face No. 28 seed Corentin Moutet of France.

Thursday’s Italian Open results

Friday’s Italian Open order of play

By the numbers

Before losing his first round match, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, a 2022 Rome finalist, had advanced to the Italian Open quarterfinals in five of the past seven editions.

“Quotable …”

“I love coming back here. Rome is always a special place for me, for sure. I love the tournament; I love what they do for the players. It’s really good to be back here.”

– Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who won the Italian Open in 2023, during a pre-tournament interview with ATP Media.

 

Search

Brigitte Urban
Tennis photographer
camera lens

International Blogs

Dietmar Kaspar

TC Großhesselohe hat mit aufgestocktem Kader und dem Bundesliga-Spitzenspieler die Top 3 im Visier

May 7, 2026

Florian Heer

Carlos Bernardes: Vom Schiedsrichterstuhl zum Challenger-Turnierdirektor

April 22, 2026

Michael Dickens

Once-In-A-Lifetime Photograph Of Jasmine Paolini Tells A Great Story

December 29, 2025

Marc Raffel

2026 wieder Herren-Weltklassetennis in Troisdorf

December 19, 2025

Podcast

Categories