GOATs vie for ‘Vene, vidi, vici’ in Rome

IF LAST week’s Madrid Open was symbolically designed to represent the handing over of the Spanish baton from the GOAT to the KID, namely from Rafa Nadal to Carlos Alcaraz (until things went pear-shaped after champion Alcaraz was prematurely axed in the Quarters by new Madrid champion Andrey Rublev), then the current Rome Masters has once again reversed proceedings.

We are back to the GOATs, with six-time champion Novak Djokovic potentially facing off against 10-time champion Nadal, instead of the new kids on the block Alcaraz and Italian number one Jannik Sinner – because the latter are both sitting on the sidelines nursing an arm and a hip injury.

There they are joined by Matteo Berretini, the former Italian number one hoping to take advantage of Sinner’s absence, but instead having to withdraw – together with Czech Jiri Lehecka, the very man who brought down Nadal in Round Four in Madrid – as yet another injury fatality.

It appears that the GOATs collectively at the same age, including former number one Andy Murray, were made of sterner stuff and far less injury prone than either Alcaraz or Sinner, the only members of the Next-Gen pack to have clocked up three Majors between them since Roger Federer, the third of the GOATs, retired. Latter-day Italian number one Fabio Fognini, who supposedly had handed over his baton to Berretini and then Sinner, is ironically keeping the local flag aloft – a testimony to veteran “staying power” – in felling Britain’s Dan Evans, a more impressive opening round feat than Nadal’s victory over No 108, Belgian Zizou Bergs.

Bergs is on debut in Rome, having played only two Masters 1000 to date. That said, Nadal has a tougher second week draw than Djokovic and if things go according to the Roman Gods’ plans – it’s a big if – then the Spanish gladiator will collide with 2023 runner-up Holger Rune in Round Four, followed by defending champion Daniil Medvedev in the quarters and Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis, before ideally confronting his old nemesis, Djokovic.

Small wonder Nadal chose to practise with Tsitsipas, the ultimate volleyer in the Foro Italico in the tournament build-up – and a far more focused and resurgent Tsitsipas now that he has broken up with WTA player Paula Badosa, who was clearly a distraction if not a deterrent to his own tennis career.

Meanwhile, Djokovic once again unsurprisingly chose Rune to hit up with, given the Serbian hasn’t officially competed since the Monte Carlo semis and its only the second time in six years that the top seed has arrived in the Vatican City without a title under his belt for this or that season.

Lest we forget, one of Rune’s most savoured victories was beating Djokovic in the 2022 Paris Masters Final wielding the volley, and it obviously made an indelible impression on Djokovic who thereafter immediately made a concerted effort to get to net more often. The only real initial threat posed to the world No 1 in his side of the draw will be 16th seed Karen Khachanov, a second week Grand Slam staple.

The bad news for Fognini is that while he has the Italian crowd eating out of his pocket, he’s in the same draw section as 11th seed Taylor Fritz; Top 10, Grigor Dimitrov; and NextGen Italian, Lotenzo Musetti.

One cannot further ignore the fact that feisty American Ben Shelton is back in action, drawn in-form Ruud’s top quarter, and third seed Alexander Zverev lurks in the easier bottom quarter.

The mantra for GOATs – Djokovic and Nadal – in Rome has so often been “Vene, vidi, vici”. Is there a nextgen gladiator determined enough to steal a leaf out of that coveted laurel wreath?