Novak Djokovic returns to the clay swing this week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, marking his latest European clay-court start outside of the COVID-19-shifted 2020 schedule. The six-time Rome champion is seeded No. 3 and landed in the same half of the draw as Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic missed the 2025 edition at the Foro Italico, ending a run of 18 consecutive main-draw appearances. The 38-year-old most recently competed in March, when he was edged out in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open by Jack Draper. He cited a right shoulder injury for his subsequent withdrawal from the Miami Open, a decision that began a stretch in which he missed three Masters 1000 events.

This delayed arrival in Rome is notable for Djokovic: on four occasions his season-opening appearance on clay has culminated in a title. A year ago, after opening losses in Monte Carlo and Madrid, he captured his 100th tour-level title at Geneva and followed that with a semifinal showing in Paris.

The backdrop to Djokovic’s return includes Jannik Sinner arriving off another ATP Masters 1000 triumph as he heads into his Rome homecoming. Djokovic halted Sinner’s bid for a third successive Australian Open title in January. After dropping his Doha quarterfinal to Jakub Mensik, Sinner has since compiled a 23-match win streak and surpassed 14,000 rankings points for the first time.

With Rome the final opportunity to influence Roland Garros seedings, the ATP Top 5 remains unchanged heading into the tournament. Carlos Alcaraz is out for the clay swing with injury, and the players positioned to benefit for crucial seed bumps are No. 3-ranked Alexander Zverev and No. 5-ranked Felix Auger-Aliassime. Zverev did himself a favor by reaching the Mutua Madrid Open final, widening his lead over Djokovic to 1,105 rankings points. Zverev also has 200 points to defend from his 2025 Rome quarterfinal result.

Alexander Blockx has emerged as a compelling presence on tour this spring. The 21-year-old from Belgium reached the semifinals in Madrid last week and now sits at No. 36 in the rankings. That rise has not been enough to earn a seed in Rome, though he should make the cut at the Slams. In Rome he faces a different sort of challenge: a younger opponent. Cina, a 19-year-old from Palermo who reached as high as No. 4 in the juniors, will have local support. As a pro, however, Cina has not been ranked higher than No. 183. Blockx’s profile fits the modern top-level ATP player: a 6’4 frame, a strong serve, a heavy topspin forehand and a two-handed backhand. Winner: Blockx

Karolina Pliskova’s return to the later rounds of a WTA 1000 event was unexpected at the start of the year. The 34-year-old finished 2025 ranked outside the Top 1000 and had not advanced past the second round at a major since 2023. Last week in Madrid she looked more like the player who once held No. 1 in the world, making the quarters and coming within a set of the semifinals. Now at No. 130, Pliskova has momentum and tournament history on her side: she won this event in 2019 and reached the final in 2020 and 2021. She opens against Bouzas Maneiro, a fiery 23-year-old from Spain ranked 50th. They have never played each other. Winner: Pliskova

Dino Prizmic is another name that surfaced during Madrid. The 20-year-old from Croatia, listed at 6’2, plays with noticeable grit and physicality. He recorded eye-opening wins over Matteo Berrettini and Ben Shelton last week in Madrid, moves to a career-high No. 79 and is now a player to watch as the clay season progresses. His rise this spring has been rapid and memorable.

Three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka will bring his farewell season to a close on home soil in October, the Swiss Indoors Basel has indicated.

The tournament announced plans for a special evening on Monday, October 26 at 6 p.m., with a pre-sale launching Wednesday. “An emotional evening full of memories, surprises and magical moments from the career of the Vaud-born superstar awaits spectators,” organizers teased. The statement also made clear the end point of his farewell season: “He would have liked to keep playing forever. But Basel marks the end of the line for Stan Wawrinka as he says goodbye to the game,” the tournament wrote.

Wawrinka began his final season with encouraging signs, competing at the United Cup and reaching the third round of the Australian Open. The 41-year-old returned to the Top 100 in February and March before falling back in the rankings and missing the initial Roland Garros main-draw entry cutoff. He remains due to be recognized following his last French Open match.

Preparations for Paris suffered a setback when Wawrinka withdrew from his second-round qualifying match in Rome. According to the entry, back pain prevented him from taking on Pablo Carreño Busta, forcing an early end to his bid in the Italian event.

The Basel tribute is presented as a final, formal farewell on the site where Wawrinka will end his professional career. Organizers promise an evening that reflects on the highlights of his time on tour and affords fans a chance to celebrate the Vaud-born star before he departs the tour.