Novak Djokovic is limiting his appearances this year, knowing that he has the quality (he was finalist in the Australian Open, beating Jannik Sinner in the process) but maybe not the energy at his age. He has retired from every tournament since the Indian Wells in March, but he confirmed he will participate in the Rome Masters 1,000, going to the court to practice on Monday while his name will be in the draw... hoping to fall into the opposite side of Sinner, to delay a match with the World No. 1 until a potential final.
The Rome Open, on clay courts, last Masters 1,000 tournament until Roland Garros, is an important stop to prepare for the second Grand Slam of the year, one that Djokovic has won a record six times, the first time in 2008, and the last time in 2022.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will not be in Rome, and won't return until the grass season (he is in doubt even for Wimbledon), so Djokovic would be the third seed, after Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.
These are the male players expected to participate at the 2026 Italian Open:
Jannik Sinner
Alexander Zverev
Novak Djokovic
Félix Auger-Aliassime
Ben Shelton
Alex de Minaur
Daniil Medvedev
Lorenzo Musetti
Alexander Bublik
Flavio Cobolli
Jiří Lehečka
Andrey Rublev
Karen Khachanov
Valentin Vacherot
Arthur Fils
Tommy Paul
Cameron Norrie
Luciano Darderi
Learner Tien
Frances Tiafoe
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Arthur Rinderknech
Casper Ruud
Tomás Martín Etcheverry
Francisco Cerúndolo
Jakub Menšík
João Fonseca
Corentin Moutet
Tallon Griekspoor
Brandon Nakashima
Ugo Humbert
Rafael Jódar