Alcaraz Excited To Be Back In Rome, Advances To Third Round

Carlos Alcaraz, Rome
Carlos Alcaraz (photo: FITP)

ROME/WASHINGTON, May 9, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

Carlos Alcaraz arrived in the Eternal City of Rome this week in search of his second ATP Masters 1000 title of the season following his earlier success in winning the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters last month. After being forced to miss the Mutua Madrid Open due to an adductor injury, the just-turned-22-year-old World No. 3 from Spain is ready to return to action at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Throughout practice at Foro Italico leading up to his opening-round match, Alcaraz, who came in 9-1 on clay this season – 24-5 in all matches with two titles – and was making his second appearance in Rome after losing in the third round to Fabian Marozsan of Hungary two years ago, maintained a positive demeanor. There were plenty of smiles from the Spaniard and he seemed ready to go.

During his pre-tournament news conference on Thursday, Alcaraz said: “I’m really happy to be here in Rome. It’s the second time that I’m going to play here, so I’m excited. The practices were great so far. I’m in good shape. I’m 100 percent ready to start the tournament.”

On Friday, the third-seeded Alcaraz opened against 131st-ranked Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic, who advanced with a straight-set first-round win over 74th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan two days ago. The Spaniard took a 4-0 lifetime win-loss record against Lajovic into the match on Campo Centrale. After racing to a double-break 3-0 lead to open the match, his first since the Barcelona final on April 20, Alcaraz showed his brilliancy throughout the 82-minute second-round tussle and won, 6-3, 6-3, for his ATP Tour-leading 25th victory of the season. It advanced him to face another Serbian, No. 64 Laslo Djere, who upset No. 31 seed Alex Michelsen of the United States, 6-0, 6-3, in 71 minutes on Court 14.

Afterward, Alcaraz said he did not feel his adductor injury during his win over Lajovic.

“Today was a great match for the start of the tournament,” Alcaraz said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “I surprised myself, honestly. I expected a worse match from my side. I’m just really happy. The most important thing was the injury and how it was going in the match, if I was going to feel it or not, and today was great. I moved great today without any pain, so it was a great day.”

Although they are on opposite sides of the draw, it’s likely that if Alcaraz is to add to his collection of ATP Masters 1000 titles, he would likely have to defeat both World No. 2 Alexander Zverev of Germany, who is in his half of the draw, seeded second, and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy, who is the top seed.

Alcaraz said he’s glad to see Sinner back from his three-month absence from the ATP Tour, while serving a WADA-imposed sentence for doping.

“Honestly, I’m really happy to have him around again,” Alcaraz said. “It’s been three months. Obviously, for him was tough and I’m pretty sure was super long. But yeah, just I think it wasn’t a better place to come back than here in his home, for him here in Rome.

“I saw him. As I say, yeah, it is great for me, for the tennis, for the fans to have him again around, that he’s able to play a tournament again.

“We are in different sides of the draw. Hopefully I’m going to meet him at the final. But just want I want to say is I’m really happy to see him, his team around. I think, yeah, I’m going to enjoy watching him playing again, his matches. For the people I think is great.”

After missing last year’s Rome event, Alcaraz is excited to be back and hopes to build upon his six previous ATP Masters 1000 titles. On Friday against Lajovic, Alcaraz won 72 percent of his first-serve points, hit 24 winners, made 24 unforced errors, converted four of 10 break-point opportunities and outpointed Lajovic 66-52.

During his post-match news conference, Alcaraz revealed that once he went home from Madrid, after withdrawing from the Mutua Madrid Open, “I took some days without doing anything, just recovering with the physio. I didn’t do any physical preparation or any movement at all. When I went home on Monday, after coming back from Madrid, I didn’t a test to see how it was, and it was almost perfect. So, then, I started to practice. So, it was a mix of taking it easy and, of course, practicing to get ready for Rome,” he said.

Zverev advances in 66 minutes over Ugo Carabelli

Defending champion Alexander Zverev of Germany dropped just three games and needed just 66 minutes to defeat No. 60 Camilo Ugo Carabelli of Argentina, 6-2, 6-1, Friday evening on Campo Centrale.

Zverev, who is attempting to become the first man to win back-to-back Rome titles since Rafael Nadal in 2018-19, improved to 23-1 versus players outside the Top 5 in Rome. His lone loss was to Matteo Berrettini in the second round of the 2019 event.

The World No. 2 and second seed from Hamburg hit 20 winners, made 19 unforced errors, converted six of 10 break points and outpointed Ugo Carabelli 56-33.

“I think in general it was a pretty good match,” Zverev said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “He’s obviously not a guy who has the biggest game, but all in all I did my things well and I’m happy about that.”

Zverev’s 22nd victory in his 30th match this season advanced him to face 154th-ranked Lithuanian qualifier Vilius Gaubas in the third round. Gaubas upset No. 27 seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada, 6-3, 6-4, in one-hour, 47-minutes on Pietrangeli. It was not only the biggest win of Gaubas’s career, it’s the first time a Lithuanian player has reached an ATP Masters 1000 third round since the series was introduced in 1990.

Draper rebounds from Madrid title loss to beat Darderi

World No. 5 and recent Mutua Madrid Open finalist Jack Draper of Great Britain rebounded from his Sunday setback in the Spanish capital city to defeat 46th-ranked Italian Luciano Darderi, 6-1, 6-4, in a second-round match that lasted an hour and 18 minutes on Grand Stand Arena. The win advanced Draper into the third round against 92nd-ranked Czechian qualifier Vit Kopriva, who upset No. 32 seed Sebastian Baez of Argentina, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, in two hours and 32 minutes on Court 14, in which Kopriva outpointed Baez 94-92.

The 23-year-old lefty Draper broke Darderi’s serve four times in five opportunities – including three times in the opening set – saved all seven break points he faced, hit 33 winners, including seven aces, and outpointed his opponent 69-49.

“I think I came out really well,” Draper said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “I think mentally I knew it was going to be a little bit difficult and I’m glad about how I played in certain moments. I think I needed a match here to feel like I was strong again and I just think it was a really good mental performance today.”

Draper is a three-time ATP Tour champion and will be going after his 100th tour-level win against Kopriva on Sunday.

Around Foro Italico

Among the highlights from Friday’s second-round matches:

• No. 8 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, needed just 85 minutes to advance to the third round after defeating 130th-ranked qualifier Otto Virtanen of Finland, 6-3, 6-2, outpointing his opponent 69-49. Next, Musetti will face No. 28 seed Brandon Nakashima of the United States, who advanced by walkover against No. 41 Jordan Thompson of Australia.

• No. 9 seed Holger Rune of Denmark broke a four-match losing streak at the ATP Masters 1000 level with his 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 63 Francisco Comesana of Argentina, in two hours and 57 minutes on Supertennis Arena. Rune saved 18 of 20 break points he faced from Comesana and outpointed him 117-115. Next, Rune will face No. 83 Corentin Moutet of France, who advanced by retirement over fellow countryman and No. 21 seed Ugo Humbert, leading 6-3, 4-0, after 69 minutes on Court 2.

• No. 10 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia moved into the third round with a 6-4, 6-2 win over 91st-ranked lucky loser Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, in 92 minutes on Pietrangeli. Next, Medvedev, who hit 18 winners and outpointed Norrie 71-56, will face No. 24 seed Alexei Popyrin of Australia, who was a 6-1, 7-6 (4) winner over 139th-ranked qualifier Carlos Taberner of Spain, in one hour and 40 minutes on Court 1.

• No. 13 seed Arthur Fils of France advanced over No. 35 Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, in 67 minutes on Pietrangeli. Fils won 76 percent of his service points and converted four of seven break points. He outpointed Griekspoor 59-39. Next, Fils will face No. 18 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, who advanced with a 6-2, 7-6 (3) win over No. 39 Alexandre Muller of France, in 91 minutes on Supertennis Arena. Tsitsipas hit 29 winners and outpointed Muller 74-56.

• No. 14 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria was upset by 101st-ranked Italian wild card Francesco Passaro, 7-5, 6-3, in one hour and 44 minutes on Grand Stand Arena. Dimitrov faced 14 break points and was broken four times by Passaro. Next, Passaro will oppose No. 23 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia came on strong in the final set to defeat 135th-ranked qualifier Roman Andres Burruchaga of Argentina, 6-4, 5-7 6-1, in two hours and 40 minutes on Supertennis Arena, taking advantage of six breaks of his opponent’s serve.

Friday’s Rome results

Saturday’s Rome order of play

By the numbers

With Italy’s Fabio Fognini (37 years 11 months) eliminated in the first round by British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley Thursday night, Tommy Haas of Germany (39 years 1 months) remains the oldest Rome match winner in the last 50 editions of the tournament.

“Quotable …”

“I was nervous honestly because I didn’t know how it’s going to be for the people when they watch it, how their reactions are going to be,” Alcaraz said.  “I liked it. I just really wanted people [to] enjoy watching it. So far, the reactions have been super positive, which for me it was great. Some players told me that they loved it. It was really honest, as well.

“I [am] just super happy that there was a great impact for the people, for the fans. I just [tried] to show my [personality], how I am, and how I was struggling, my thoughts in my head. I’m just really happy about how the people watch it.”

– Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, during his pre-tournament news conference, on the reaction to his new Netflix three-part documentary series, “Carlos Alcaraz: My Way.”

 

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