Masters in Rome Starts Today: Sinner, Zverev, and Djokovic in the Main Draw
Today, May 6, the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 tournament with a prize fund of over €8 million kicks off in Italy. All the world's top tennis players, including world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Novak Djokovic, will compete for the title on the courts of the Foro Italico.
Main Event
Today, May 6, 2026, one of the most prestigious clay-court tournaments on the global tennis calendar begins in the Italian capital — the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, better known as the "Masters" in Rome. The ATP Masters 1000 series event, with a substantial prize fund of €8,235,540, will be held on the courts of the legendary Foro Italico sports complex and will run through May 17. This year, the Italian public will witness a unique event: world No. 1 and national hero Jannik Sinner will try to finally conquer his home tournament, thereby writing his name in history by completing the so-called "Golden Career Masters." He will face competition from tennis titans — six-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic, returning to the tour after a break, and Alexander Zverev, one of the leading clay-court specialists.
Details and Statistics
The draw is impressive in its depth and star-studded lineup. According to the draw, held on May 4 at the historic Piazza del Popolo, the main battles will unfold from the early rounds. The prize fund is structured to maximize player motivation: the singles champion will receive €1,007,165, while the runner-up will get €535,585. Winners will also earn 1,000 ranking points, which could significantly impact the top-10 standings ahead of Roland Garros.
As for the seeding and first opponents of the top players, the situation is as follows. World No. 1 with 14,350 points, Jannik Sinner, who won the Mutua Madrid Open last Sunday (his record fifth consecutive Masters title), received the top seed. The 24-year-old Italian has never won in Rome, although in 2025 he came within a step of the title, losing in the final. This time, he is determined to close that gap in his resume.
38-year-old Novak Djokovic, six-time champion of this event (and the only holder of the "Golden Masters"), returns to the tour after a long injury-related break. The Serb, who has 4,700 points and is ranked fourth, has not stepped on court since March, when he withdrew from Indian Wells. His return to clay is generating huge interest: his first opponent will be the winner of the match between Marton Fucsovics and a qualifier, and in the quarterfinals, he could face a serious test from the likes of Karen Khachanov.
Alexander Zverev, ranked third with 5,805 points, came to Rome eager to redeem himself after what he called a disastrous final in Madrid against Sinner. The German has won twice in the Italian capital — in the landmark year of 2017 (his first Masters title) and in 2024. He is in the same half of the draw as Djokovic, promising a potentially explosive semifinal. Meanwhile, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz (world No. 2 with 12,960 points) is skipping the tournament due to medical reasons, which somewhat thins the top half of the draw but adds responsibility for Sinner.
Context and Significance
This edition of the Rome Masters carries immense historical context. The main storyline is Jannik Sinner's pursuit of the "Golden Career Masters." To join Djokovic in this elite club, the Italian needs to win the only missing trophy from the nine possible. A victory in front of his home crowd in Rome would be not just a checkmark on his list of achievements but a symbol of Sinner's total dominance in modern tennis.
For Djokovic, this tournament is not only the usual hunt for records (a potential seventh title) but also a test of his competitiveness ahead of the main clay-court event of the season in Paris. A lackluster start to the season and injuries raise questions about his readiness, but his experience and love for the Foro Italico courts could offset the lack of match practice.
Other contenders should not be overlooked: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben Shelton, and Taylor Fritz are battling for top-10 spots. In the women's WTA 1000 draw, with a prize fund comparable to the men's, fierce competition is also expected, featuring all the world's top female players.
What's Next / Key Match Previews
The main draw kicks off with several high-profile matches on Wednesday, May 6. According to the order of play, on center court, one of the first to take the clay will be Spaniard Jaume Munar, who will face Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the morning session. Later, around 4:00 PM local time, attention will shift to the match between Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta and Alejandro Tabilo. The top seeds — Sinner, Zverev, and Djokovic — traditionally start their campaigns in the second round, meaning their first matches will take place later in the week.
The draw for the first two days promises a true tennis marathon: up to 40 matches per day across all courts. This is an ideal time to hunt for dark horses and upsets while the top players are just warming up. The men's singles final is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, and will start no earlier than 5:00 PM local time.
— Editorial Team
