All eyes on Novak Djokovic: The season’s first clay match fans can’t miss
Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP via Getty Images After stepping away from the game for a short spell, Novak Djokovic is back and looking to make his mark on this year’s Italian Open in Rome. Djokovic, who will be featuring in his first clay-court event of 2026, has received positive comments from Tracy Austin as he prepares for the tournament. The 38-year-old has competed in just two events this season, finishing as runner-up at the Australian Open before a round-of-16 exit at Indian Wells.
He lost to Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne and Jack Draper in California, but now has an opportunity to regain momentum on clay following his hard-court appearances. Fans have reason to be optimistic about his form after he completed a practice session with Tomas Etcheverry ahead of the tournament. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Why Djokovic’s first clay appearance should have fans eager Djokovic looked sharp in the session, managing the court well and showing good movement for this stage of the season.
What stood out even more, though, was how often he turned to the drop shot. It’s something he used effectively throughout their hit-out, and it seemed to catch his opponent off guard on several occasions. Etcheverry had trouble dealing with it, and there were a few moments where he could only stand back and applaud the execution.
With Alcaraz sidelined due to a wrist injury and Sinner on the opposite side of the draw until a potential final meeting, there are openings that could play into Djokovic’s hands. The support was evident during his practice session against Etcheverry and should carry over into his opening match of Rome 2026. The fans will be hoping he can capitalise on a draw that looks favourable on paper.
Sinner’s confidence stands out ahead of the clay season Djokovic has his eyes on the French Open, where he’ll be chasing a 25th Grand Slam title. But he’s also been put on notice about how serious a threat Sinner could be during the clay-court swing. That remark came ahead of their semi-final meeting at the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters, which happened to be the only time they’ve faced each other on that surface.