Another two-week combined ATP/WTA event is already underway in Rome, with Friday featuring second round singles action.
Returning to his home country’s biggest event, World No.1 Jannik Sinner is vying for a record-extending sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title. He will begin his 2026 Rome campaign on Saturday, while former champions Alexander Zverev and No.3 seed Novak Djokovic both play their opening matches on Friday. For Djokovic, this will be his first match in over two months, and only his third tournament of the year.
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed, and is looking to win her first clay court title of the year after suffering an upset in Madrid at the hands of Hailey Baptiste. Sabalenka played her opening match on Thursday, while former champions Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek both play on Friday.
Plus, can Madrid breakout star Rafael Jodar continue to build his momentum ahead of Roland Garros? He makes his Rome debut on Friday.
Here’s a rundown of the most notable matches on Friday (in chronological order, all times local):
Caty McNally vs. Iga Swiatek (4) – 11:00am on Campo Centrale
Swiatek is a three-time champion in Rome, but she hasn’t won a clay court title in nearly two full years. Iga is a very modest 14-8 this season, after retiring mid-match in the third round of Madrid due to illness. She just recently began working with long-time Rafael Nadal confidante Francisco Roig. McNally is coming off a run to the round of 16 in Madrid, the best WTA 1000 result of the 24-year-old American’s career. Swiatek leads their head-to-head 2-0, though McNally was the only player to take a set off Swiatek last summer at Wimbledon.
Nuno Borges vs. Rafael Jodar (32) – 11:00am on SuperTennis Arena
19-year-old Jodar electrified the home crowds in Madrid with his run to the quarterfinals, bringing his clay court record this year to 12-2. This will be just his fourth Masters 1000 appearance, and he’s already seeded. Borges was ranked as high as 30th in the world two years ago, and is most notably the last man to defeat another Rafael at an ATP event: Nadal.
Daniel Altmaier vs. Alexander Zverev (2) – Not Before 1:00pm on Campo Centrale
Zverev was extremely frustrated with his inability to compete with Sinner in the final of Madrid, as he managed to win only three games. But Sascha is a two-time champion in Rome, most recently winning this title in 2024. He is 3-1 against Altmaier, a fellow German who has played Zverev pretty tightly in the past.
Dino Prizmic (Q) vs. Novak Djokovic (3) – Third on Campo Centrale
This will be Djokovic’s first match since losing in the round of 16 at Indian Wells to Jack Draper in a final-set tiebreak. Novak has been battling a right shoulder injury, as he returns to a tournament he’s won six times, and where he has been the runner-up on six other occasions. Back at the 2024 Australian Open, Prizmic played extremely well in his only prior encounter with Djokovic, a four-setter that lasted four hours. The 20-year-old from Croatia recently secured a Challenger title on clay, and two weeks ago in Madrid, he upset fourth-seeded Ben Shelton.
Maria Sakkari vs. Elena Rybakina (2) – Fourth on BNP Paribas Arena
Rybakina is 27-6 on the year, and she won this event back in 2023. Sakkari is just 9-8 on the year, as she has failed to regain her form after a shoulder injury ended her 2024 season early. And she’s only 1-5 against Rybakina, though this will be their first meeting on clay.
Friday’s full Order of Play is here.
