Conquering the Eternal City: preview of the Rome Masters 1000

The ATP tournament in Rome opens this Wednesday. The last major event of the clay-court season before the French Open, it promises to be another exciting year. Most of the tour's stars have made a stopover in Italy (27 of the top 30 players in the ATP rankings will be present). That said, the last-minute withdrawals of Carlos Alcaraz and, above all, Jannik Sinner (standard-bearer of Italian tennis) have somewhat tarnished this fine picture.

Nonetheless, the eyes of the world are likely to be on the Italian capital, as the final conclusions for the French Open will be drawn there.

As ever, there are a number of questions to be answered: Who can hope to win at the Foro Italico? Who are the outsiders to watch? What are the main contenders?

- Djokovic, the return of the king

The Serb has never had such a tricky start to the season. Largely dominated by Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open (6-1, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3), 'Nole' is no longer reassuring. After a shortened American tour, he fell again in Monte-Carlo. Beaten by a fine Casper Ruud in the semi-finals (6-4, 1-6, 6-4), he wants to do better. He must do better. Rome may well be the ideal opportunity to do just that. In the absence of Sinner and Alcaraz, Djokovic is the overwhelming favourite and could well take advantage of his visit to the Eternal City to reassure himself ahead of the French Open.

- Medvedev, a titleholder in doubt

Daniil Medvedev's relationship with clay has begun to mend. After several disastrous seasons on the surface, the Russian surprisingly won the tournament last year. Adapting his tennis, Medvedev improves year on year on ochre. That said, the world No. 4's physical condition is a cause for concern (he has an adductor muscle injury). Forced to retire in Madrid (in the quarter-finals against Lehecka), it remains completely unclear whether he will take part.

- Rublev: confirming the upturn

Extremely shaky for weeks (4 consecutive defeats between March and May), Andrey Rublev rediscovered all his efficiency in Madrid. Surprisingly crowned champion (over Auger-Aliassime in the final 4-6, 7-5, 7-5), the Russian has been winning and winning. Buoyed by a thundering serve and a new-found mental solidity, the world number 6 arrives in Rome as a title contender. Time to step up to the plate?

- Ruud, the ochre sticks to him

He's inevitably one of this season's form men. After a good start to the year, the arrival of clay has once again transformed Casper Ruud. More than just brilliant, the Norwegian is frightening. A finalist in Monte-Carlo, he won in Barcelona. Despite an early elimination in Madrid (against Auger-Aliassime in the Round of 16), the two-time French Open finalist has everything it takes to shine, and could well complicate the plans of a number of top players.

- Nadal, time to say goodbye

It was already a major event in Madrid, and it will continue to be a major feature of this 5th Masters 1000 of the season. After bidding farewell to Madrid, Rafael Nadal will take his final bow at the Foro Italico. The Spaniard, sovereign in his field for 20 years, will probably be able to count on popular support in Italy. Winner on ten occasions (an all-time record), the bull from Manacor will no doubt be hoping to thrill the Italian public one last time. In any case, the atmosphere is likely to be electric when the Majorcan plays his matches.

- From Auger-Aliassime to Dimitrov, hungry outsiders

In addition to those already mentioned, other players, always dangerous, could well flourish in Italy. Of particular note is the presence of Félix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian, a finalist in Madrid, is back to his best and will be a gift to play for no-one. Other players to watch are Holger Rune and Grigor Dimitrov. The Dane, who has been hesitant in recent weeks, remains capable of great things on ochre and hopes to meet up again in Italy (outgoing finalist). For his part, Dimitrov, ranked 10th in the world, is having a prodigious year in 2024 and will be keen to make up for his disappointing performance in Madrid (eliminated by Jakub Mensik).

Other players with slightly lower rankings will also be keeping an eye on Italian soil. Jan-Lennard Struff, who won the title in Munich and excelled in Madrid, will be an obvious danger. Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini, both potential locals, are likely to arrive in Rome with knives between their teeth. Finally, Mariano Navone, author of a clay-court season that has been as impressive as it has been astonishing (1 title, 3 finals, 1 semi-final), could well cut a few heads off.

And let's not forget a number of players who are hoping to prove us wrong. These include Hubert Hurkacz, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who will also be hoping to make their mark on the outcome.