Zverev reaches Rome third round after beating Altmaier

May 08, 2026 / 10:19 PM

Sharjah 24 – World number three Alexander Zverev is through to the third round of the Rome Masters 1000 after seeing off fellow German Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-3 on Friday. It was a comfortable enough result on paper, but the two-time Rome champion needed one hour and 45 minutes to get there — and Altmaier, a player yet to win a single title on the professional tour, made him work considerably harder than his ranking might have suggested.

Champion tested

Altmaier had no intention of making things straightforward, and for long stretches he didn't. He broke Zverev's serve in both sets and kept the pressure on with heavy groundstrokes and clever variety. Zverev, seeded second in the tournament, squandered a 5-3 lead in the opening set before regrouping, and then dropped his serve early in the second after slipping on the court while chasing down a drop shot. But in the moments that mattered, the German's class told. He gradually took greater control from the baseline, and once he found his range, Altmaier had no answer.

Eyes on final

Zverev arrives in Rome in decent form after reaching the final in Madrid last week, and the draw has placed him on the opposite side of world number one Jannik Sinner – raising the very real possibility of a final between the two. This prospect holds significant importance, considering the 29-year-old has already lost to Sinner in four Masters 1000 finals this year. To add a third Rome title to the ones he claimed in 2017 and 2024, he must perform at his absolute best.

Jodar and Arnaldi light up draw

Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar continued to impress, defeating Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-6(4), 6-4 to secure a third-round encounter with Italian Matteo Arnaldi. Arnaldi himself produced one of the performances of the day, overturning a first-set deficit against Australian sixth seed Alex de Minaur to win 4-6, 7-6(5), and 6-4 in a match that had the home crowd firmly on their feet.

Swiatek grinds through

On the women's side, fourth seed Iga Swiatek—a three-time Rome champion in 2021, 2022, and 2024—needed two hours and 45 minutes to get past American Caty McNally, who was ranked 63rd in the world. She cruised through the opening set 6-1, then found herself in a proper fight as McNally raised her level in the second, eventually taking it in a tiebreak. Swiatek steadied herself in the third and came through 6-1, 6-7(5), and 6-3 to book her place in the next round, where she will face the winner between fellow American Emma Navarro and Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Djokovic awaits his moment

All eyes will be on Novak Djokovic later in the day as the Serbian makes his first clay-court appearance of the season, taking on 20-year-old Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic. It marks Djokovic's long-awaited return to the dirt after a two-month absence from the tour, and Rome — a tournament he knows better than almost anyone — will be watching closely.