Eternal Champion Djokovic Returns To Eternal City Rome

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (photo: Foto FITP)

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 6, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

Novak Djokovic has played in just two ATP Tour events this season, the Australian Open in Melbourne and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. Despite playing just nine matches this season, compiling a 7-2 win-loss record, he remains ranked World No. 4. He is seeded third at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, whose main draw began with 16 first-round matches scheduled spread across eight courts at Foro Italico on Wednesday. (By 10 p.m. local time, rain suspended play for the day and three matches were rescheduled for Thursday.)

The six-time champion in Rome has been welcomed back by the Tour and by Italian fans this week, following a six-week absence for an undisclosed injury, both in a couple of very public practice sessions, Monday on Campo Centrale and at Piazza del Popolo on Tuesday.

With defending champion and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz absent from this year’s ATP Masters 1000 event, while he nurses an injured right wrist, it must give the former World No. 1 Djokovic, a winner of 40 career ATP Masters 1000 titles, some ray of hope of using Rome as a quality tune-up for Roland-Garros, which commences in less than three weeks. After all, how Djokovic fares in the Eternal City could be an indicator whether making a deep run in the City of Lights, in pursuit of a record-extending 25th major, could be in the cards.

In the meantime, Djokovic’s Rome return comes with much anticipation. He’s on the opposite side of the draw from World No. 1 and top seed Jannik Sinner, which means that the 38-year-old Serbian great and the 24-year-old South Tyrolean could meet in this year’s final – not a bad consolation considering another epic Sinner and Alcaraz title match won’t happen this year in Rome.

Djokovic will bring a career win-loss record at Foro Italico of 68-12 onto Campo Centrale when he plays his opening match on Friday – and he’s never lost in Rome in the opening round. 

Looking back, Djokovic’s biggest win this season was a thrilling five-set semifinal triumph over Sinner at the Australian Open, in which he rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory. He lost to Alcaraz, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, in the AO title match.

During one of his news conferences at Indian Wells, where he lost in the round of 16 against Great Britain’s Jack Draper, Djokovic spoke about those two matches and also what motivates his to continue playing.

“So, it was just incredible feeling to be able to beat Sinner in five sets in one of the epic matches that I played in recent times in Australia, and then have another great match with Carlos, who was just too good in the end,” he said.

“But, you know, for me that has been a phenomenal result. So, you know, I have proven to myself primarily and to others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these guys.

“So, my logic is why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and also motivation to do that. Schedule is unclear, as it was in the last kind of couple years. You know, it kind of revolves mostly around slams, but I kind of pick and choose where I want to play, where I feel like it’s not just from a tennis standpoint but also emotionally, you know, brand-wise, or whatever it is, you know, that inspires me to come.”

Can Hanfmann repeat his 2023 Rome success?

Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann, the 34-year-old Tour veteran, earned his best career ATP Masters 1000 result at Foro Italico in 2023 after defeating No. 9 Taylor Fritz and No. 6 Andrey Rublev en route to a quarterfinalist finish.

This year, in five previous clay-court events, Hanfmann was a finalist at Santiago and reached the quarterfinals at Marrakech.

Now, after defeating No. 53 Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in a featured first-round match Wednesday afternoon, coming from to behind to win 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 6-2, in two hours and 19 minutes on Campo Centrale, the 59th-ranked Hanfmann is feeling good about his game after improving to 6-2 lifetime at Foro Italico. Next, he will face No. 18 seed Luciano Darderi of Italy, whom he lost to, 7-6 (6), 7-5, in the Santiago final on clay last February.

“When you come into a match [like this one], you have to be patient, you have to stay focused the entire match,” Hanfmann said of playing against Hurkacz, during his on-court interview with ATP Media.

“[Hubert’s] a great server – even on clay. His serve is absolutely massive. I’m happy to get that second-set tie-break because I had my opportunities in the first set but didn’t use them. Then, I came out really good in the third set. It was a little bit wonky at the end but I got [the job] done.”

Hanfmann won 80 percent (44 of 55) of his first-serve points and backed it up by winning 71 percent (25 of 35) of points on his second-serve. He converted three of nine break points, hit 32 winners – 17 of them forehand winners – and took advantage of 38 unforced errors by Hurkacz. By the end of the first-round match, Hanfmann outpointed his opponent 101-87.

“I tried to zone in on my service games,” Hanfmann added during a sit-down interview with Tennis Channel.

“Obviously, I grew up on clay in Germany. We have clay all year. It just feels like the surface is most natural to me. I’ve got a drop shot, a kick serve. I like to be creative.”

Around Foro Italico

• No. 65 Sebastian Baez of Argentina fought past No. 63 Jenson Brooksby of the United States, 6-3, 7-6 (8), in one hour and 42 minutes on BNP Paribas Arena, converting five of nine break-point opportunities and winning on his seventh match-point opportunity. Next, Baez will play No. 9 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

• No. 35 Alejandro Tabilo of Chile needed just 72 minutes to advance with a rain-delayed 6-2, 6-1 victory over 91st-ranked qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain on BNP Paribas Arena. Next, Tabilo will play No. 25 seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina.

• No. 52 Nuno Borges of Portugal needed just 61 minutes to advance over 102nd-ranked Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong, 6-3, 6-0. Borges dropped just two points on his first serve, winning 91 percent (21 of 23) first-serve points. Next, Borges will face No. 32 seed Rafael Jodar of Spain.

• No. 54 Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, needed just 92 minutes to defeat No. 105 Alexandre Muller of France, 7-5, 6-3 on Pietrangeli. Next, van de Zandschulp will oppose 95th-ranked lucky loser Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States, who replaced injured No. 22 seed Arthur Rinderknech in the draw. Rinderknech pulled out with a left calf injury.

• No. 55 Vit Kopriva of Czechia eased past No. 49 Fabrian Marozsan of Hungary, 6-3, 6-3, in one hour and 18 minutes on Court 13. Next, Kopriva will face No. 31 seed Ugo Humbert of France.

• No. 64 Daniel Altmaier of Germany saved a pair of match points in the second set and went on to defeat No. 239 Zhang Zhizhen of China, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, on Supertennis Arena for his first ATP Masters 1000 match win of the season. In the second round, Altmaier will oppose World No. 3 and second seed Alexander Zverev in an all-German matchup.

• No. 83 Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany advanced to the second round after defeating 114th-ranked qualifier Francisco Comesana of Argentina, 6-2, 6-4, in one hour and 21 minutes on Pietrangeli. Next, Struff will face No. 11 seed Jiri Lehecka of Czechia.

• No. 85 Aleksandr Shevchenko of Kazakhstan upset No. 61 Camilo Ugo Carabelli of Argentina, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (5) in two hours and 48 minutes, converting four of 11 break points. Next, Shevchenko will play No. 13 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia.

• No. 87 Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina dropped just four games in upsetting No. 45 Adrian Mannarino of France, 6-4, 6-0, in 90 minutes on Court 1. Next, Dzumhur will take on No. 19 seed Learner Tien of the United States.

• No. 90 Zachary Svajda of the United States needed two hours and 12 minutes to advance past No. 78 Marco Trungelliti of Argentina, 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4), on Court 14. Next, Svajda will face No. 23 seed Casper Ruud of Norway.

• No. 99 Aleksandar Vukic of Australia came on strong to beat 89th-ranked American qualifier Patrick Kypson, 6-3, 5-7, 6-0 in one hour and 59 minutes on Court 1 on the strength of six break of serve in 12 opportunities. Next, he will oppose No. 16 seed Tommy Paul of the United States.

• Italian wild card Mateo Arnaldi of Italy, ranked 105th, earned his first tour-level victory since Vienna last October with his 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 upset win over No. 38 Jaume Munar of Spain in two hour and 33 minutes on Campo Centrale. Arnaldi claimed his second Top-50 win of the season after defeating No. 49 Nuno Borges last week en route to to winning the Cagliari Challenger title.

Wednesday’s Italian Open results

Thursday’s Italian Open order of play

By the numbers

Novak Djokovic (68-12 lifetime at the Italian Open) has won the Rome title six times: 2008, 2011, 2014-15, 2020 and 2022. He twice defeated Rafael Nadal, who won a record 10 Rome championships, in the title match at Foro Italico.

“Quotable …”

“I feel 100 percent ready to give everything I have. Of course, I will need all the support and the love from the crowd. With that, I think I can achieve something really important and I can try to surprise everybody. Here in Rome, we are missing an Italian winner. This year hopefully it will come.”

– No. 8 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, as quoted by the ATP Tour website.

 

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