With today’s main draw draw, the curtain rises on the 2024 Italian Internationals. Truly everything is ready at the Foro Italico for an edition that will certainly see twelve Italian tennis players at the start. Unfortunately, as is well known, Jannik Sinner is not present in this list. The absence of the world number two is certainly very heavy, because never before have the hopes of seeing an Italian triumph in Rome again been as high as this year.
Lorenzo Musetti is the only one seeded and therefore already has a bye towards the second round. The Tuscan is fresh from reaching the final in the Challenger in Cagliari and it is hoped that this week in Sardinia may have helped him regain some confidence after a truly complicated first part of the season.
He wasn’t lucky Matteo Arnaldi, who immediately caught the insidious Czech Machac and then eventually the Chilean Jarry. The Ligurian will be called to complicated matches, but the public factor could be important and he is certainly a player who loves warm atmospheres.
It will be a special tournament for Flavio Cobolli, who will play at home in his Roma. The spotlight is definitely on the Roman, who has done well in this first part of the season and will make his debut with a qualifier. It will be the first time at the Foro Italico for Luciano Darderi, perhaps the biggest surprise of these first months for Italian tennis. The first round with Denis Shapovalov gives emotions.
The Internationals will see the return of Matteo Berrettini to the field, who hasn’t played since Monte Carlo and who will be the protagonist of one of the two Italian derbies in the first round, given that he will meet Stefano Napolitano (wild cards). The other all-blue challenge will be between Matteo Gigante and Giulio Zeppierialso another local tennis player.
Luca Nardi also returns to Rome after the physical problems of recent weeks and will face the German Daniel Altmaier. Who hopes to experience positive Internationals is Lorenzo Sonego, returning from a really negative period, but the match with the Serbian Dusan Lajovic hides many concerns. A wild card was also awarded to Andrea Vavassori, who will also be involved in the doubles tournament with Simone Bolelli, with the blue couple dreaming of going all the way to play for victory.
The last chapter is for those who have perhaps reached the last Italian Internationals of their career. Fabio Fognini he is one of the most loved tennis players at the Foro Italico and will begin his adventure with the British Daniel Evans. There are no expectations, but it would be wonderful to see him once again as a protagonist on the Roman red clay.
ITALIANS PRESENT AT THE INTERNATIONALS OF ITALY ROME 2024
Lorenzo Musetti
Matteo Arnaldi
Luciano Darderi
Flavio Cobolli
Lorenzo Sonego
Luca Nardi
Matteo Berrettini
Fabio Fognini (WC)
Andrea Vavassori (WC)
Giulio Zeppieri (WC)
Stefano Napolitano (WC)
Matteo Gigante (WC)
