The third Masters 1000 of the season, contested on the clay surface, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, marks the much-anticipated return to tour-level competition of the world number one Jannik Sinner on home soil.
The main draw revealed on Monday features the Italian player and world number three Carlos Alcaraz on opposite halves. They can only cross paths in a potential final scenario in the “Eternal City” of Rome.
Sinner, 23, will launch his campaign against the winner of the match between Argentine Mariano Navone and countryman Federico Cina.
It will be his first match on tour since his three-month anti-doping ban; during his pre-tournament press conference held at the Centrale del Foro Italico, the two-time Australian Open champion expressed his feelings toward his opener.
“The most beautiful thing will be stepping back on court and seeing all the fans,” he said with a smile.
“I am not scared, just very happy to be here. We worked a lot during these months, we are ready to get started.”
Last February, Sinner accepted a three-month suspension from tennis with immediate effect, a settlement agreement reached between the player and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over the case of his anti-doping rule violation.
The 19-time ATP titlist had tested positive for clostebol in two different urine samples.
“WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of the negligence of members of his entourage,” the Anti-Doping Agency remarked in a press release issued at the time.
The suspension established that the San Candido native would be able to resume official training by April 13th, 2025, making his official return to action in Rome, giving the player a chance to test his level and fitness, eyeing Roland-Garros.
“These three months have been somewhat of a pause, somehow. I am extremely happy to be back, and at the same time, curious to see where my level sits.”
Meanwhile, world number two Alexander Zverev will kickstart his title defense by facing off against a qualifier or Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli.
The second seed is drawn in a star-studded fourth quarter and could clash with world No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals.
Musetti, who recently cracked the Top 10 due to impressive performances on the red clay, reaching the final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the semifinals at the Mutua Madrid Open, is a strong contender for the title.
Big names such as resurgent Denis Shapovalov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in-form Arthur Fils, and former champion Daniil Medvedev are potential opponents for the defending champion, Zverev.
The German achieved his best result this season two weeks ago, lifting the trophy in Munich, an ATP 500 event.
However, his season has turned into an uphill run for the 24-time titlist since he lost the AO championship match to Sinner in Australia, recording early exits while delivering poor performances.
In a press conference staged at the Foro Italico on Tuesday, the 28-year-old commented: “Before Munich, my level of play wasn’t great. There are reasons for this. Not taking time off after Australia was a big reason for it. I felt like I burned out a little bit. Tennis is a tough sport. We play a lot. We travel a lot.”
“First of all, we don’t give our bodies rest, but we also don’t give our heads rest,” he added. “They don’t get mental rest. I needed that a little bit.
“I’m on a good path. I won a tournament two weeks ago. I cannot forget that. And I have to focus on the positives.”
World number three Carlos Alcaraz arrived on Italian soil after skipping Madrid due to a right abductor injury sustained in the Barcelona final when playing eventual winner Holger Rune.
Scans would show a small tear in his abductor area, which added to the discomfort in his left hamstring, leading the Spaniard to withdraw from the tournament.
The 22-year-old landed in the bottom half of the third quarter and is on a fourth-round collision course with 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov.
In addition, Alcaraz, Roland-Garros reigning champion, could meet Madrid runner-up Jack Draper in the quarterfinals and Zverev in the last four.
For his part, American Taylor Fritz, at a career-high world No. 4, was drawn into the second quarter and could meet seventh seed Alex de Minaur in the last eight.
A tough road to the final includes 30th seed Hubert Hurkacz, Miami Open winner Jakub Mensik, and 16th seed Andrey Rublev as potential adversaries.
Elsewhere, Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca will debut at the Italian Masters 1000; the 18-year-old will open his run against unseeded Fabian Marozsan on Wednesday.
This season, the young player captured his first ATP title in Buenos Aires, an event contested on the clay court.
Fonseca, who wrapped up 2024 by clinching the NEXT GEN ATP Finals, also won two Challengers thus far this season and is currently at No. 65 in the Rankings - he started the year at No. 145.
Speaking with the media at the Caja Magica in Madrid, where he received a wild card to play at the venue, he stated: “When they say I’m going to be the next Guga, I don’t really like the comparisons. Everyone has their own story and can win different things.
“I don’t want to be the next Guga; I want to be Joao Fonseca. I hope I can do something close to what he did, but I’m working hard to write my own story.”