ATP Tour

Djokovic in Rome: 'I am ready enough to compete'

Novak Djokovic will make his much-anticipated return to the ATP Tour this week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, where he competes for the first time since Indian Wells in March.

Back at one of his most successful tournaments, the six-time Rome champion admitted he is not at his best after injury setbacks kept him sidelined longer than expected in recent weeks.

“I am ready enough to compete,” Djokovic told ATP Media before his opening match in Rome. “I am not the happiest with the level of tennis or the movement or the physical state, but it is getting there. I wanted to be back on the Tour earlier, but couldn’t. I was injured, so I had to deal with it progressively. I am here in Rome. I always love coming back, have had great success, so I am excited to be back in competition.”

Djokovic holds a 68-12 record in the Italian capital according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index and earned two of those victories against record 10-time titlist Rafael Nadal. The 38-year-old is excited to be back at an event that has given him so much throughout his career.

“It is called the tennis colosseum for a reason,” Djokovic said of Rome. “Amazing crowds. The amount of people who come and watch the tournament, the venue is so historic, beautiful. Considering the Italians' success in men’s and women’s in the last several years, the popularity has grown and you can feel that. There is great energy around the stands.”

Djokovic made an impressive start to the 2026 season when he reached his first major final since 2024 at the January’s Australian Open. In his second tournament of the year, the former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings lost in a third-set tie-break to Jack Draper in the fourth round in Indian Wells.

Djokovic, a record 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, will begin his Rome campaign on Friday against Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic, who took a set off Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2024. The third seed could meet eighth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals and is in the opposite half of the draw as Jannik Sinner.

Sinner is aiming to join Djokovic and become just the second man to complete the Career Golden Masters this fortnight in Rome. Djokovic defeated Sinner at the Australian Open in January but trails the Italian 5-6 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series overall.

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