PREVIEW | ATP Rome Open 2025 Day Two as rising stars Joao Fonseca and Jacob Fearnley headline, Fabio Fognini begins farewell

While the WTA tournament is full of top ties and is in full swing by Day Three, the ATP Rome Open is more pedestrian in its start with none of the big names starting their quest as of yet. But two rising stars will headline proceedings on Thursday at the Foro Italico.

Those being Joao Fonseca and Jacob Fearnley who will be in top ties on Thursday aiming to reach the second round in Rome.

It all begins at around 11am local time in Rome with Matteo Arnaldi who famously vanquished Novak Djokovic in Madrid and went on to lose to Jack Draper in the Quarter-Finals of the tournament. He returns to face Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut to start the day on Campo Centrale. No doubt given his run last week and being a home hero, he will get a good crowd.

Same can be said for the headliner that day on Campo Centrale in the ATP tournament as Fabio Fognini who has hinted at retirement saying this Rome Open will be his last will aim to go out with a bang.

The Italian showman though will face tricky opposition in Jacob Fearnley having not won since last October but has announced his last lap starting against the Brit who had among the top amount of wins last season.

While perhaps overshadowed by Jack Draper's brilliance, Fearnley is a player firmly on the rise. But it will all be about Fognini and his impending retirement.

“Since I was a kid I was coming here to say, ‘Oh let’s see, let’s hope to play one day’. And now I’m in the opposite [time of my career]. I think it’s a good time to say goodbye in this beautiful city, special city,” Fognini told Tennis Channel. “But yes, I’m here with a smile on my face because I know that I had a really difficult time during my 15, I don’t know, 16, 20 years in Rome and I would like to enjoy the last lap.”

"I play with passion, and sometimes too much. But I think when I was playing my best tennis here, I think the crowd was really happy to see me beating Andy. I beat Gael, I beat Tsonga, I beat a lot of good players. Of course the dream since I was a kid was winning here. But if I have to be honest, I have now and have in the future also the opportunity to say to Federico and the two girls that I was able to play against Roger, against Rafa, against Andy, against Novak, and this part of my career was really special.”

Elsewhere Nicolas Jarry will begin the defence of his final points. He lost last year to Alexander Zverev but hasn't done much since so is set for a huge ranking drop if he can't revive himself this week. He faces Hugo Gaston to start.

Showmen collide as Alexander Bublik also faces Roman Safiullin while it is the day of the home hopes on Grand Stand Arena as Federico Cina, the rising Italian faces Mariano Navone. There is also Luca Nardi v Flavio Cobolli and Mattia Bellucci facing Pedro Martinez.

But perhaps the game of the day in the men's tournament sees Joao Fonseca face off against Fabian Marozsan. The Brazilian who always brings a big crowd with him will face the Hungarian famed for his win against Carlos Alcaraz which feels a lifetime ago now. Also on the menu is Learner Tien v Reilly Opelka and also Gabriel Diallo is back in action after his great week in Madrid facing Marcos Giron.