Matteo Berrettini and Zizou Bergs are set to showcase their talents in the first round of the 2026 Rome Masters, with both players keen to make an impact in this prestigious tournament.
Starting with Matteo Berrettini, the Italian powerhouse finds himself ranked at 100th in the world — a position that does not truly reflect his abilities on the court. Berrettini has battled significant injuries over the past few years, which have hindered his performance, but he remains a formidable competitor, especially on clay. Known for his strong game on grass, he has also claimed three titles on clay in 2024. In Monte-Carlo, Berrettini impressed by achieving a double-bagel victory over Daniil Medvedev before ultimately falling to Joao Fonseca in the round of 16. In the first round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, he will face Alexei Popyrin, who has struggled this year with a 4-11 record and is still searching for his first victory on European clay.
As for the match between Zizou Bergs and Terence Atmane, expectations are high for an intriguing encounter. Atmane has shown promise with a solid performance that took him to the round of 16 in Miami earlier this year. Despite being relatively new to the professional circuit, his left-handed serve is considered a strong asset, and interestingly, his clay-court results have so far outshone his hard-court performances. Atmane is currently ranked 51st globally.
Standing in his way is Bergs, who recently achieved a career-high ranking of 39th. With a successful stint in the Aix-en-Provence Challenger where he reached the final, Bergs is likely to carry positive momentum into this match. While many predict a close contest, the edge seems to favor Bergs, although an upset from Atmane wouldn’t be out of the question.
As the tournament unfolds, tennis enthusiasts are enthusiastic about the prospects both players bring, setting the stage for potentially thrilling matches in Rome.
