Rome draw makes Sinner top seed after Alcaraz withdraws
- Jannik Sinner became the clear No. 1 seed in Rome after the men’s draw dropped on May 4 and Carlos Alcaraz stayed out injured. - Sinner opens against Alex Michelsen or Sebastian Ofner, while Novak Djokovic returns in the opposite half after more than six weeks out. - Alcaraz also pulled out of Roland Garros, turning Rome into Sinner’s biggest clay chance and reshaping the entire spring title race.
Clay season just tilted hard in Jannik Sinner’s direction. The Rome draw came out on Monday, May 4, and the biggest thing about it is not just where Sinner landed — it’s who is missing. Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion and Sinner’s main rival on this surface, already pulled out of Rome and Roland Garros with a wrist injury. That leaves Sinner as the top seed at home, with Novak Djokovic back in the field but parked on the other side of the draw. (atptour.com) ### Why is this suddenly Sinner’s tournament? Because the one guy who beat him in last year’s Rome final is gone. Alcaraz won this title in 2025 by beating Sinner 7-6(5), 6-1, and he was supposed to defend a full 1,000 points here. Instead, he shut down the rest of his clay season after tests on the wrist injury he picked up earlier this month. Th(atptour.com)struck. (atptour.com) ### What does Sinner’s path look like? It starts gently enough, at least on paper. Sinner gets Alex Michelsen or Sebastian Ofner first. But the draw is not empty around him. Jakub Mensik is a possible third-round opponent — and Mensik is one of only two players to beat Sinner in 2026. Arthur Fils is the seeded fourth-round dang(atptour.com)liassime, Ben Shelton, and Daniil Medvedev also sit in Sinner’s half. (atptour.com) ### Why does Rome matter so much for him? Because this is not just another Masters. If Sinner wins Rome, he completes the Career Golden Masters — all nine Masters 1000 titles at least once. Only Djokovic has done that, and Djokovic has done it everywhere twice. On top of that, Sinner is chasing a record-extending sixth straight Masters 1000 title (atptour.com)vent is lining up with a genuinely historic opportunity. (atptour.com) ### Where did Djokovic land? In the bottom half, which is the cleanest possible setup if you want the biggest final. Djokovic can only meet Sinner in the championship match. He opens against Marton Fucsovics or a qualifier and returns after more than six weeks out with injury. The catch is that his section is not exactly soft — Lorenzo Musetti is in his quarter, with Jiri Lehecka and Casper Ruud nearby. (atptour.com) ### What about Zverev? Alexander Zverev is the No. 2 seed and probably the most obvious non-Sinner threat left standing. He just made the Madrid final before getting beaten heavily by Sinner, and he has real Rome credentials as a two-time champion. His opener is Daniel Altmaier or Zhang Zhizhen, and Alex de Minaur is the seeded quarterfinal obstac(atptour.com)ne will circle. (atptour.com) ### Why is Alcaraz’s absence bigger than one event? Because he didn’t just miss Rome. He also pulled out of Roland Garros. That means the defending champion at both events is gone, and the clay season’s central rivalry gets put on pause at the exact moment it usually peaks. Alcaraz was only 390 points behind Sinner in the rankings before Rome’s ti(atptour.com)tournament and the ranking fight. (atptour.com) ### When does it all start? The Rome main draw runs from May 6 to May 17 at the Foro Italico. The draw was made on May 4, and the singles final is scheduled for Sunday, May 17. That gives Sinner two weeks on home soil with a bracket that is dangerous, but clearer than it looked a couple of weeks ago. (atptour.com)me now feels like Sinner’s opening. Not a free run — Djokovic is back, Zverev is lurking, and the field is still deep. But with Alcaraz out, the pressure and the opportunity both land squarely on the Italian. (atptour.com)
