If world number one Novak Djokovic is to add a sixth title in the Italian capital in 2022, he will face a difficult task.
In 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2020, Djokovic won the Italian Open. In 2022, he will attempt to capture his sixth title and cut the gap on Rafael Nadal, who has won the Italian Open ten times.
However, the Serbian's path to the trophy will not be simple, as he will face a number of strong opponents. Djokovic will have a BYE in the first round as the top seed and can enjoy some deserved rest.
However, he should expect a difficult challenge already in the second round, as he will face the winner of the match between Lloyd Harris and Aslan Karatsev.
Any of the four players in Djokovic's top half of the draw might face him in the third round, but the bad news is that three of them will be extremely difficult to beat. Only one of the three players, Stan Wawrinka, Borna Coric, or Reilly Opelka, can advance to the third round and face Djokovic.
In the quarter-final of the tournament, Djokovic's most probable opponents would be Diego Schwartzman or Felix Auger-Aliassime. In Madrid, he avoided playing Rafael Nadal as the Spaniard was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz. In Rome, however, they can meet in the semi-finals again.
In the final, Djokovic can face many difficult rivals, including Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated him at the 2022 Madrid Open. Another finalist from Madrid, Alexander Zverev, could also be the Serbian's opponent. He can also face Zverev's semi-final opponent from the Spanish capital, Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Novak Djokovic's path to the trophy at the 2022 Italian Open:
| Round | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | BYE |
| Round 2 | Lloyd Harris / Aslan Karatsev |
| Round 3 | Borna Coric / Stan Wawrinka / Reilly Opelka |
| Quarter-final | Diego Schwartzman / Felix Auger-Aliassime |
| Semi-final | Rafael Nadal / Casper Ruud |
| Final | Carlos Alcaraz / Alexander Zverev / Stefanos Tsitsipas / Andrey Rublev |
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