Serve On SI

Carlos Alcaraz's 2025 Italian Open Draw Projects Brutal Path to Final

Breaking down Carlos Alcaraz's projected opponents for the 2025 Italian Open.
Pat Benson|
Carlos Alcaraz must overcome an injury and a tough draw in the Italian Open.
Carlos Alcaraz must overcome an injury and a tough draw in the Italian Open. | IMAGO / sportphoto24

On Monday morning, tournament organizers for the Italian Open (Internazionali BNL d'Italia) unveiled the draw for the ATP 1000 Masters event in Rome.

Tennis fans immediately began pouring over the brackets, and it quickly became apparent that the Italian Open would be no walk in the park for World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz.

Not only must Alcaraz overcome an adductor injury he suffered in the Barcelona Open final, but his path to the final is full of challenging matchups. Below is a breakdown of Alcaraz's projected matches for each round of the Italian Open.

As a seeded player, Alcaraz gets a first-round bye. Therefore, his campaign in Rome officially begins on Friday, May 9. Alcaraz will face the winner of Jan-Lennard Struff and Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round.

In the Round of 32, Alcaraz will likely face either Alex Michelsen, Laslo Djere, or Tomás Martín Etcheverry. In the Round of 16, Alcaraz could match up against Grigor Dimitrov, Karen Khachanov, or Lorenzo Sonego.

The quarterfinals would be even tougher for Alcaraz, with potential matchups against Jack Draper or Holger Rune.

If Alcaraz advances to the semifinal, he could face Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti, or Daniil Medvedev. Lastly, a potential final could pit Alcaraz against Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, or Tommy Paul.

Alcaraz has already won a clay court title this season at the Monte-Carlo Masters, but the Spanish superstar had a much easier path, only facing two seeded players along the way.

With Sinner returning to action and Zverev rounding into form with a clay court title at the BMW Open, Alcaraz can expect a gauntlet en route to a title in Rome.

Currently, Alcaraz is 24-5 with two titles this season. Follow Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

More Tennis News

Breaking down Jannik Sinner's projected opponents for the 2025 Italian Open.

Nick Kyrgios implied he is playing in the 2025 French Open but is not on the entry list.

Aryna Sabalenka beat Coco Gauff in straight sets to win the Madrid Open.

New Balance unveils Coco Gauff's tennis shoes for Roland Garros.

Carlos Alcaraz explained his process for picking sneakers as good luck charms.

Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

Share on XFollow Pat_Benson_Jr
Home/News