Italian Open 2024: Djokovic returns in depleted field as Rybakina defends women's title
The tennis season moves from Madrid to Rome's Foro Italico for the Italian Open which runs from 7-19 May 2024.
The European clay-court swing has already proved attritional for some of the top men with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner both missing Rome, the former after his right arm injury flared up again during his quarter-final defeat to eventual winner Andrey Rublev.
Sinner pulled out before his quarter-final with Felix Auger-Aliassime citing a hip problem. Having been forced out of his home Masters tournament, the Italian says he will only play Roland-Garros if 100 per cent fit.
After skipping Madrid for "non-medical" reasons, Novak Djokovic is a warm favourite to win a seventh Italian Open title, while Rafael Nadal bids for an 11th triumph in the Italian capital.
On the women's side, Elena Rybakina defends her crown after losing an epic semi-final in Madrid to defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Iga Swiatek just about got the better of Sabalenka in Saturday's final with the Pole cementing her position at number one in the world rankings.
Rome Masters: Djokovic and Rublev among men's contenders
Rublev profited from Djokovic's absence and injuries to some of his main rivals to claim his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid after his Monte Carlo triumph last year.
The Russian is seeded fourth in Rome with Stefanos Tsitsipas his predicted quarter-final opponent. Tsitsipas reached the 2022 final, when Djokovic claimed the last of his six titles, but suffered a surprise second-round exit in Madrid to Brazil's Thiago Monteiro.
The Serbian superstar was heavily fancied to retain his title last year but went down to Holger Rune in the quarter-finals with Daniil Medvedev defeating the Dane for his first ATP tournament win on clay.
Now 36, the world number one has played just three tournaments this season as he attempts to preserve his body in the twilight of his career. And with Sinner and Alcaraz absent, he has a great opportunity to secure his first title of 2024.
Other contenders are 2017 champion Alexander Zverev, seeded three, and Casper Ruud who defeated Djokovic in the Monte Carlo semi-finals before falling to Tsitsipas in the final. The Norwegian then won Barcelona but went down to Auger-Aliassime in the last 16 in Madrid.
Ruud could face Djokovic in the quarter-finals although American youngster Ben Shelton is also in his section of the draw.
Having reached the fourth round of his last Masters event on home soil, 10-time champion Nadal will open against a qualifier in Rome. Seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz awaits the winner with the Spanish veteran saying he will decide whether to bid for a 15th French Open title after this tournament.
And one of the big questions is: What can Nadal do?
Italian Open 2024: Swiatek bids for third title in four years
Last year, Swiatek's Rome hat-trick bid was derailed in the quarter-finals when a thigh injury forced her to retire during the third set against Rybakina.
The Pole comes to the Italian capital having won a classic Madrid final against Sabalenka.
2023 champion Rybakina (Kazakhstan) has ranking points to defend in Rome after beating Anhelina Kalinina in last year's final. The Ukrainian quit during the second set of that encounter.
Swiatek is seeded to meet Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the quarter-finals with US Open hero Coco Gauff a potential semi-final opponent.
Having won back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston, Danielle Collins went down to Sabalenka in the last 16 in Madrid after taking the opening set. She, Gauff and Madison Keys - who rolled back the years to reach the semis in Madrid - head the American challenge in Rome with Jessica Pegula remaining on the sidelines.
Ons Jabeur showed glimpses of her best form as she reached the quarter-finals in Madrid before falling to Keys. The Tunisian reached the final in 2022 and will be hoping for another deep run this time.
Italian Open Tennis 2024: Schedule of play
All times are Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2). See the full tournament schedule here.
Tuesday 7 May
- 11:00 - Women's singles first round
Wednesday 8 May
- 11:00 - Men's and women's singles first round
Thursday 9 May
- 11:00 - Men's first round; women's second round
Friday 10 May
- 11:00 - Men's and women's second round
Saturday 11 May
- 11:00 - Men's second round; women's third round
Sunday 12 May
- 11:00 - Men's and women's third round
Monday 13 May
- 11:00 - Men's third round; women's fourth round
Tuesday 14 May
- 11:00 - Men's fourth round; women's quarter-finals
Wednesday 15 May
- 13:00 - Men's and women's quarter-finals
Thursday 16 May
- 13:00 - Men's quarter-finals; women's semi-finals
Friday 17 May
- 13:00 - Men's and women's semi-finals
Saturday 18 May
- 13:00 - Men's singles semi-finals
- 19:00 - Women's singles final followed by women's doubles final
Sunday 19 May
- 13:00 - Men's doubles final followed by men's singles final
Italian Open: How to watch live
The Italian Open is an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000, meaning it will air on the respective tours' broadcast partners.
For American fans, the actions is televised exclusively on U.S. carrier Tennis Channel, as well as its streaming platform T2.
Other key regions include:
- Australia: beIN Sports
- Canada: TSN (and DAZN/TVA: Additional women's coverage)
- Denmark: TV2 Denmark
- France: Eurosport (men); beIN Sports (women)
- Germany, Austria, Switzerland: Sky Deutschland (men); Sky Sport (women)
- Great Britain: Sky UK
- Greece: OTE (men); Novasports (women)
- India: Sony/MSM (men); Tennis Channel (women)
- Italy: Sky Italia
- Japan: WOWOW; Gaora Sports Channel (men); DAZN (women)
- People's Republic of China: CCTV
- Poland: Polsat (men); Canal+ (women)
- Serbia: Sportklub
- South America: ESPN International
- Spain: Telefonica/Movistar (men); Tennis Channel & TVA (women)
- Tunisia: beIN Sports
Depending on your location, you can also find men's matches streaming on TennisTV.com and women's matches on WTA TV.