May 08, (THEWILL) – Novak Djokovic, the current tennis world number one, is set to return to action at the Italian Open after missing the Madrid Open due to an injury.
The Serbian tennis star will face either Luca Van Assche or Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the opening round. Djokovic finds himself in the same half of the draw as British tennis player, Andy Murray, who has a difficult first-round, match against Fabio Fognini. If Murray advances, he will face the 30th seed Miomir Kecmanovic.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who is looking for his third tournament win in a row, is on the other half of the draw. Alcaraz, who is assured of becoming the world number one after the Italian Open as long as he plays a single match, will open against either Francesco Passaro or Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, 2022 Rome runner-up, is also in Alcaraz’s quarter, making the competition even tougher for the young Spaniard. The Italian Open is the last significant event before the French Open begins on May 28.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
