Novak Djokovic has limited his participation to Grand Slams and select Masters events as he survives the hectic tennis schedule at the age of 38. The Serb is chasing his 25th Grand Slam title and he will get an opportunity in this year’s Roland Garros. Chances of him winning rose after Carlos Alcaraz withdrew his name from the tournament due to a wrist injury.
But since Djokovic has not participated in any clay tournaments this season, fans wonder if he will turn up for the Italian Open in Rome next week. The 24-time Grand Slam champion last played in Indian Wells on the tour.
Is Novak Djokovic Playing in Italian Open 2026?
Novak Djokovic is all set to play in the Rome Masters. He basically confirmed by resharing a story from Internazionali BNL d’Italia’s Instagram account, capturing a photo of him from a clay surface, waving to fans. The post was captioned:
“Ready to embrace Rome again 🫂 Novak Djokovic will practice on Centre Court tomorrow at 6:00 pm ‼️”
Djokovic’s practice session is scheduled on Monday. Earlier, Djokovic withdrew from the Madrid Open due to physical discomfort. In the meantime, he has been preparing in Marbella. As a result, to get himself some match time, the Serb might have decided to play the Masters event.
If there is any player who has made Rome his dominance, it’s Novak Djokovic. The 38-year-old has an incredible record in the Foro Italico, reaching 12 finals and winning six of them. However, his last title here came back in 2022.
Djokovic could use this tournament to prepare himself for the French Open. Interestingly, last year, he adopted a different strategy in the lead-up to Roland Garros, skipping Rome and playing in Geneva instead.
Ever since winning the 2023 US Open, Djokovic has made multiple semifinal appearances and one final (this year in the Australian Open), while chasing his elusive 25th Grand Slam. The likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been a thorn between him and that accomplishment. But for the first time in over two years, one of them won’t be playing, therefore raising Djokovic’s shot at the title.
However, he must be wary of Sinner, who is in incredible touch, even though he defeated the Italian in the Australian Open semifinals.
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