Italian Open 2025: Schedule of Play for Friday May 9
Friday’s Schedule of Play at the Roma Masters
Italian Open 2025: How the Action Unfolds at the Foro Italico
LINK: Schedule of Play
The world’s best are gathering once more in the Eternal City, as Rome plays host to the final clay-court Masters 1000 of the season before the Grand Slam spotlight shifts to Paris. With the men’s and women’s draws brimming with stars, and the city itself buzzing from Jannik Sinner’s much-anticipated comeback, anticipation is as high as the arches that line the Foro Italico.
But how exactly will the drama play out over the two-week showcase? Here’s how the competition will build, round by round, from the very first ball struck to the final moment on Centre Court.
Opening Days: A Field Begins to Form
The earliest matches of the tournament are where the stage is set. Qualifiers and lower-ranked players will compete for a coveted place in the main draw, with young names and experienced veterans often producing the kind of intensity rarely seen in early rounds. For fans of underdog runs, these are the matches to watch—where future stars announce their arrival and seasoned fighters refuse to fade away.
Both men’s and women’s singles main draws officially begin shortly after, with first-round play spread across all courts. These initial rounds offer a chance to scout breakout players and see who’s carrying momentum into the heart of the competition.
Middle Rounds: The Giants Step In
As the tournament moves into its second phase, the top seeds make their entrance.
Jannik Sinner, now back in the mix after his suspension, is expected to be a central figure from the moment he steps onto court. The Italian’s return adds emotional weight to the week, as he looks to reassert himself in front of a home crowd that’s waited months for his comeback. The energy around his matches will be electric.
Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev will also enter the fray during this stretch. The matches tighten, the rallies lengthen, and every slip begins to carry real consequences.
On the women’s side, this is where Iga Swiatek typically shifts gears. With Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff also in the mix, the tension builds across the grounds as the bracket starts to crystallize into potential semifinal paths.
Quarterfinals and Beyond: Only the Sharp Survive
By this point, the field will have thinned, and what’s left are the contenders—each match now a battle between top-tier talents.
Quarterfinal action often brings the tournament’s first truly blockbuster matchups. Swiatek vs. Gauff. Djokovic vs. Alcaraz. Sinner vs. Zverev. These are the moments that pull the world’s eyes to Rome.
Expect the courts to be packed and the atmosphere electric, particularly on Pietrangeli, where fans crowd shoulder-to-shoulder in the Roman sun. Night sessions become especially electric, as the lights go up and the stakes rise even higher.
Championship Weekend: Legacies Are Forged
When only four remain in each draw, legacies are on the line.
For the men, a title in Rome has often signaled readiness for Roland Garros glory. Djokovic has used this event as a springboard before. So has Nadal. Alcaraz and Sinner will look to join that company—and for the latter, lifting the trophy in front of a home crowd would be the kind of full-circle moment that careers are made of.
In the women’s draw, a Swiatek-Sabalenka final could be on the horizon, but with names like Paolini and Zheng surging, nothing is guaranteed.
The finals will bring it all together: skill, history, atmosphere, and pressure. Clay rewards precision, movement, patience—and by the end, only one name in each draw will have navigated the Roman labyrinth and stood tallest.
The Roman Rhythm
No matter who lifts the trophies, the Italian Open once again serves as the perfect crescendo in the clay-court season. With drama unfolding one round at a time, this year’s edition promises not just stories—but chapters to remember.
Check back throughout the fortnight for updates, results, and analysis as the path from Rome winds its way toward Roland Garros.
