PREVIEW | ATP Rome Open 2025: Sinner's unpredictable return, Alcaraz and Draper big contenders

The 2025 Rome Open, also known as the Italian Open, will be played starting this Tuesday, May 6th, with the highly anticipated return of Jannik Sinner as the main attraction, and the inclusion of Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper among the title favorites.

Another player looking to maintain momentum is the 2025 Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud, who despite not arriving in great form, ended up taking the title in the Spanish capital, defeating Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, Francisco Cerundolo, and a notable finalist in Draper along the way.

What Jannik Sinner can do is still an unknown before the start of the tournament, after three months away from competition. The Italian only managed to play one tournament this year at the Australian Open, where he was champion, but on clay courts, he has not yet convinced in the same way as on hard courts. The world No. 1 awaits to know his debut opponent and demonstrate how far his ambitions can go these weeks in his home country.

Without considering Sinner, the player who appears as a strong candidate is Carlos Alcaraz, champion at the Monte-Carlo Masters a few weeks ago and who had to withdraw from Madrid due to an injury. However, Alcaraz is reportedly physically ready to play one last tournament before defending his title at Roland Garros. The Spaniard already won the title in 2022 and 2023 and seeks to improve his 2024 performance, in which he reached the quarterfinals.

On the other hand, Jack Draper is one who arrives inspired. As a finalist in Madrid, he confirmed that he can display his best level on slow courts, in addition to having won his first Masters 1000 title just over a month ago in Indian Wells. The Brit is second in the Race and will seek to preserve his great form in these weeks leading up to the French Open.

The fourth candidate in terms of current form is probably Casper Ruud, one who showed a new side in Madrid, which ended up giving him his first Masters 1000 title. The Norwegian is always a contender on clay courts, and the title in Madrid is just another sign that he can compete for titles against the best on this surface.

Alexander Zverev (No. 2) and Taylor Fritz (No. 4) in terms of ranking might seem to be among the favorites, but neither is going through a great moment. The German is the defending champion but has not convinced with his results for months. He was champion at the BMW Munich Open, but in Madrid, he raised doubts after falling in the round of 16 to Francisco Cerundolo, his second consecutive defeat against the Argentine. In any case, Rome can be a place that serves as inspiration, and if he manages to advance a few rounds, he can find enough confidence to return to the fight for major titles.

On the other hand, the American has never quite felt comfortable on clay courts, although as a top-5 player, he must be a player to consider. While he achieved a couple of victories in Madrid – his only tournament on clay so far – he fell convincingly to Ruud, who was beginning to establish himself as a contender after defeating the American. Fritz already reached the quarterfinals last year, only falling to the eventual champion Zverev.