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ATP Tour Brief: May 7, 2026

Rome Heats Up as Djokovic Returns and Prize Money Tensions Simmer

The Internazionali BNL d'Italia is underway in Rome, with first-round action seeing local wild card Matteo Arnaldi and Yannick Hanfmann among the early competitors. The bigger story at the Foro Italico is the return of Novak Djokovic, who hit the practice courts ahead of his tournament debut after missing more than six weeks with injury. The six-time Rome champion is attempting to shake off rust before Roland Garros, where analysts suggest his experience gives him an edge over world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on clay. Italian legend Adriano Panatta weighed in on the Sinner-Alcaraz debate, declaring that at 100%, Alcaraz edges the Italian star—a hot take that will fuel ongoing GOAT-in-the-making discussions.

Beyond the on-court action, the tour faces potential turbulence as top players have threatened a Grand Slam boycott over prize money disparities. The grievances center on compensation differences between Grand Slams and the ATP/WTA's combined 1000-level events, with players arguing they're not being fairly rewarded for putting on the show. Meanwhile, the rankings shuffle continues: Alexander Blockx burst into the Top 40 after his Madrid semifinal run, earning Mover of the Week honors, while Arthur Fils has rocketed to fourth in the Race to Turin following his own Madrid semifinal and remarkable comeback from an eight-month back injury.

Sources: ATP Tour · ATP Tour · Tennis365 · The Tennis Gazette · RNZ · ATP Tour · ATP Tour

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Tennis Ball
ATPWTA1+ year ago...
Showing 1-21 of 63 storiesPage 1 of 3
atptour.comMay 2026

Novak Djokovic returns in Rome: 6-time champ hits practice courts ahead of comeback

Novak Djokovic is preparing for his return to action at the 2026 Internazionali BNL d'Italia after missing more than six weeks due to injury.

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tennis.comMay 2026

A rundown of Novak Djokovic's European clay-court season debut history | Tennis.com

As Jannik Sinner comes off yet another ATP Masters 1000 triumph going into his Rome homecoming, one of the two men to conquer the world No.

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wtatennis.comMay 2026

Five things from Day 2 in Rome: Eala rallies from break down in third, Ostapenko cruises

Jelena Ostapenko delivered a dominant 6-0, 6-1 performance over Lucrezia Stefanini while Alex Eala recorded her 15th WTA main-draw win of the season at the Italian Open.

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“Motivated” Naomi Osaka reaches semifinals at WTA 125 in Saint-Malo | Tennis.com

After the former No. 1 lost early in Madrid, coach Patrick Mouratoglou told Second Serve “the thing she needs the most” is to just play more ...

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thetennisgazette.comMay 2026

Italian tennis legend believes Carlos Alcaraz is better than Jannik Sinner at 100%

Italian tennis legend Adriano Panatta has now shared his verdict on the ATP pair, having himself tasted Grand Slam success at the 1976 French Open.

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sports.yahoo.comMay 2026

Aryna Sabalenka threatens 'boycott' of grand slams as tennis stars' money fight explodes

WTA players are required to play in the four grand slams, six WTA 500 events, and 10 WTA 1000s under the association's rules. Sabalenka and Brazilian ...

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thetennisgazette.comMay 2025

Casper Ruud states what he's noticed about all the youngsters on the ATP Tour now after ...

Casper Ruud says all the young players on the ATP Tour 'rip the ball from both sides' as he makes a comment on how tennis balls have changed.

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tcpalm.comMay 2026

J.J. Wolf makes tennis comeback after injury

Tennis player J.J. Wolf is returning to competition ... After college, he quickly won five ATP Challenger titles, tournaments one level below ATP ...

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tennis365.comMay 2026

Italian Open withdrawals: 15 stars out as Marta Kostyuk joins Carlos Alcaraz - Tennis365

“But sometimes your body has other plans, and over the past few days I've been dealing with a hip issue. Tennis News. WTA Rankings Race To Riyadh: ...

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tennis365.comMay 2025

Jack Draper joins Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas in criticising new Masters 1000 format

The ongoing Madrid Open is one of the seven Masters tournaments that the ATP Tour has expanded to two weeks (12 days), along with Indian Wells, Miami, ...

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atptour.comMay 2026

Jannik Sinner learns Rome draw, Alexander Zverev & Novak Djokovic in same half

Jannik Sinner learned his draw as he bids to complete the Career Golden Masters on home soil at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, where Novak Djokovic returns to action after injury.

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tennis365.comMay 2026

Aryna Sabalenka warns players 'will' boycott Grand Slams amid prize money row

WTA world No 1 Sabalenka was among a host of leading players who issued ... Tennis News. Italian Open withdrawals: 15 players out as Marta ...

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tennis365.comMay 2025

Coco Gauff hits stunning milestones as she thrashes Iga Swiatek in Madrid Open shocker

Gauff beat Swiatek in the round-robin stage of the 2024 WTA Finals and the final of the United Cup back in January, before Thursday's lopsided affair ...

1+ year ago...Read more →
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tennis.comMay 2026

Feliz cumpleaños, Carlitos! 23 stats for Carlos Alcaraz's 23rd birthday | Tennis.com

1 is for No. 1, which he reached as a 19-year-old in 2022, becoming the first—and still only—teenager to reach the top spot in ATP rankings history, ...

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tennisworldusa.orgMay 2026

Coco Gauff learns projected path to first Rome title after illness in Madrid

Coco Gauff's projected path to an Italian Open title is analyzed after she battled illness and vomited on court in Madrid before losing to Linda Noskova.

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wtatennis.comMay 2025

Gauff drops only two games vs. Swiatek, rolls into Madrid final - WTA

In just over an hour, Coco Gauff took down Iga Swiatek with near-flawless tennis to move into the Mutua Madrid final.

1+ year ago...Read more →
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tennishead.netMay 2026

The ATP player with the best two-handed backhand of all-time has been named

Luckily for fans of the Serb, they won't have to wait long before they see him back in action. Novak Djokovic prepares for tennis return in Rome.

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tennisuptodate.comMay 2026

"Never played any competitive sports" — Former WTA Coach of the Year defends Andreeva after Madrid "cry"

Former Naomi Osaka coach Sascha Bajin defends Mirra Andreeva's emotional response after losing the Madrid final, arguing that hating losing is essential for success.

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tennis365.comMay 2025

Meet the lucky loser enjoying an incredible run of fortune at the Madrid Open - Tennis365

“Tennis is up and down, so you just try and manage. Luckily, today I managed to flip and win the match.” This is Diallo's best run at an ATP 1000 ...

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