Novak Djokovic returns in Rome: 6-time champ hits practice courts ahead of comeback | ATP Tour
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Djokovic returns in Rome: Six-time champ hits practice courts ahead of comeback
Serbian will compete for first time since March after damage
May 05, 2026
International BNL d’Italia
Novak Djokovic practices with Ignacio Buse on Monday on the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
By ATP Staff
Novak Djokovic is able to get again to enterprise by 2026 International BNL d’Italia.
The report 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion is in Rome getting ready for his return to motion after lacking greater than six weeks resulting from damage. Djokovic, whose final match was in opposition to Jack Draper in Indian Wells on 12 March, practiced with Peruvian Ignacio Buse on Monday on the Foro Italico.
Prior to his bodily struggles, Djokovic had made a powerful begin to the 2026 season. The 38-year-old reached his first main remaining since 2024 at January’s Australian Openwhereas his Indian Wells run was solely ended by Draper in a fourth-round deciding-set tie-break.
Now, the previous No. 1 participant in the PIF ATP Rankings will purpose to make an instantaneous influence when he returns on the Rome clay, the place he’s a six-time champion. Djokovic holds a 68-12 report in the ‘Eternal City’, in keeping with the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, a tally that features his title runs from 2008, 2011, 2014-15, 2020 and 2022. Djokovic has twice defeated Rafael Nadalwho’s a report 10-time Rome champion, in the championship match on the Foro Italico.
Home favourite Jannik Sinner — who’s chasing his record-extending sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title and would full the Career Golden Masters by profitable the International BNL d’Italia — could be the man to beat this yr in Rome, but it surely was Djokovic who triumphed in the pair’s solely Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly to date this yr, in the Australian Open semi-finals. Sinner and Djokovic are in separate halves of the Rome draw: Djokovic is seeded to fulfill World No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, with Sinner a possible remaining opponent.
Djokovic, who’s competing in Rome for the primary time since his third-round exit to Alejandro Tabilo in 2024, he’ll first deal with his opening match in opposition to Marton Fucsovics or qualifier Dino Prizmic on the Foro Italico. The 101-time tour-level titlelist can also be seeded to face dwelling favourite and eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals.
Novak Djokovic greets followers on Monday on the Foro Italico. Photo Credit: International BNL d’Italia