The Italian Open is one of the most prestigious clay-court tournaments leading up to the French Open. The competition takes place in Rome. The Italian Open comes under the Masters 1000 series on the ATP Tour and the WTA 1000 series on the WTA Tour.
Italian Open History
The Italian Open was first held in 1930 but did not take place from 1936-1949. However, it has been held every year since 1950. Bill Tilden of the United States and Lili Alvarez won the men’s and women’s singles titles respectively in 1930.
Several top players have won the Italian Open over the years with Rafael Nadal winning it on 10 occasions. Chris Evert has won it five times, more than any other woman. The likes of Novak Djokovic, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Andy Murray, Serena Williams and Bjorn Borg have also won the Italian Open.
Italian Open Prize Money
The total prize money for the men’s tournaments of the Italian Open is €6,008,725 while that for the women’s tournaments is $2, 257,250.
Italian Open Venue
The Italian Open was first held in Milan until 1934. It was later moved to the Foro Italico in Rome. It has three stadium courts, out of which the Campo Centrale has a capacity of upto 10,4000 spectators. The other two courts are the Supertennis Arena and the Stadio Pietrangeli.
Italian Open past champions
Rafael Nadal won his tenth title in Rome last year by beating Novak Djokovic 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 in the final. In the Women’s Singles competition, Iga Swiatek won by beating Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0 in the final. This was the first time that any player, male or female, won the Italian Open final without dropping a single game.
Players to watch out for
In the Men’s Singles tournament, reigning champion Rafael Nadal is among the contenders to win the Italian Open. The Spaniard returned from his rib injury and reached the quarterfinals at the Madrid Open. Having had a few games under his belt, Nadal can have a strong run in Rome.
Carlos Alcaraz is arguably the heaviest favorite to win the Italian Open. The 19-year-old has enjoyed an exceptional season so far and we are yet to see the best of him. Novak Djokovic had a good run in Madrid and he is gradually finding his rhythm so we could see him have a good run at the Italian Open. The likes of Alexnader Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev are also capable of contending for the title.
Iga Swiatek is possibly the heaviest favorite to win the Women’s Singles title at the Italian Open. The Pole has won four tournaments on the trot and has a good chance of defending her title. The likes of Paula Badosa, Maria Sakkari, Anett Kontveit, Karolina Pliskova and Ons Jabeur can also challenge for the title. Simona Halep looks to be in good form at present and she should not be written off either.
