The Rome Open 2025, officially the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, is underway with main draw play starting Wednesday and running through Sunday, May 18. The ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 clay court tournament features the return of several top players.
Among the men's field, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline the event after recent time away from the court. Sinner is competing after serving a suspension, while Alcaraz returns from injury. Alexander Zverev is back as the defending champion.
The men's singles draw for the ATP Masters 1000 event includes Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Jakub Mensik, and Daniil Medvedev. Seeded players receive a bye in the first round. Novak Djokovic withdrew from the tournament.
In the top half of the draw, Sinner is placed in the same quarter as Ruud. The bottom half features defending champion Zverev and Medvedev in one quarter, with Alcaraz and Jack Draper leading another section. Potential challenges for the top seeds include players like Arthur Fils and Lorenzo Musetti.
On the women's side, British players Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter are seeking results on clay ahead of the grass court season. Raducanu back in Rome after a three-year absence and is optimistic about her prospects under a new approach.
Raducanu will make her second appearance at the Italian Open, having retired from her first-round match in 2022. She faces a qualifier in her opening match, with the potential to meet world No 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round.
Katie Boulter arrives in Rome after securing her first WTA clay court win at the Madrid Open. She is working on adapting to the conditions in the Italian capital, which can feature heavy courts and balls. Boulter is scheduled to play Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her first match.
The tournaments in Rome offer players a final significant preparation opportunity before the next major championship at Roland Garros.
"It is exciting, it does feel like a bit of a fresh start with the way I am approaching everything," Raducanu said about her return to Rome.
