The fourth round matches at the 2025 ATP Rome Masters will be played on Tuesday, May 13 as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz lead the charge. You can get the best predictions and tips for the day from this tournament here.
Carlos Alcaraz v Karen Khachanov
Carlos Alcaraz holds a flawless 4–0 head-to-head advantage over Karen Khachanov, with three of those wins coming on clay—Madrid 2023, Hamburg 2022 and Roland Garros 2022—all in straight sets.
Alcaraz is the archetypal all-court aggressor. He uses a heavy-spin forehand to push opponents back or a flat punch for outright winners, combines it with a lower-margin two-handed backhand, and mixes in drop shots and serve-and-volley when needed. His 115–120 mph first serve and elite return game are bolstered by breathtaking footspeed and creativity .
Khachanov, by contrast, is a classic power baseliner. The 1.98 m Russian plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand, and his favourite shot is his booming serve. He favours clay and indoor hard courts, using flat, deep groundstrokes to dictate from the baseline, though extended defensive exchanges can test his patience .
On clay, Alcaraz has compiled a stunning record overall, and this season, he is 26–5, capturing the Monte-Carlo Masters title with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 comeback win over Lorenzo Musetti and reaching the Barcelona Open final before successive straight-set wins in Rome to make the fourth round.
Khachanov sits at 11–10 for the year and has gone 6–3 on clay, including straight-set victories over Francesco Passaro and Román Andrés Burruchaga here in Rome .
Tactically, Alcaraz will look to ramp up the spin, use his drop shot to dissect Khachanov’s court positioning and leverage his superior movement in long rallies. Khachanov must shorten points with his serve and flat forehand, preventing Alcaraz from settling into his aggressive baseline rhythm.
Alcaraz v Khachanov Tip: Alcaraz to win in straight sets: 1/3
Jannik Sinner v Francisco Cerundolo
Jannik Sinner and Francisco Cerundolo arrive in Rome deadlocked at 2–2 in their head-to-head series. Sinner edged Cerundolo in 2022’s Davis Cup tie and at the Vienna Open later that year, while Cerundolo returned fire with wins at the 2022 Miami Open and on clay last May in Rome’s fourth round, where he triumphed 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-2.
Sinner is the modern archetype of the aggressive baseliner. He unleashes heavy, two-handed-backhand drives—registered at an average 1,858 RPM topspin—and wields a flat, early-strike forehand to dictate rallies. His athletic footwork and court coverage allow him to convert defense into attack with seamless transitions.
Cerundolo, by contrast, is the quintessential clay-court craftsman. Right-handed with a two-handed backhand, he favours heavy forehands struck with depth and precision and mixes in drop-shots and angles to control point construction on red dirt.
On clay, Sinner’s credentials are top-tier: he reached the semifinals of Roland Garros in 2024, showcasing his comfort in best-of-five, high-bounce conditions. The Argentine owns a 18–6 record on clay this year, a 75 percent winning rate.
This year Sinner has been imperious. He’s gone 9–0 for the season, capturing his second straight Australian Open crown and dispatching both Mariano Navone and Marcos Giron in straight sets here in Rome.
Cerundolo, meanwhile, has been equally busy: he’s contested 24 matches on clay so far and reached the final in his home tournament at Buenos Aires—where he upset World No. 2 Alexander Zverev en route—underscoring his red-dirt momentum.
Tactically, Sinner must use his superior footspeed and variety—mixing heavy topspin, flat punches and slice—to keep Cerundolo off balance and prevent the Argentine from constructing extended, rhythm-swapping rallies. Cerundolo’s best path to victory lies in prolonging exchanges, exploiting angles and drop-shots to draw errors from the more attack-oriented Italian.
This will be Sinner’s first real test since his return.
Sinner v Cerundolo Tip: Sinner to win in three sets: 7/2
Casper Ruud v Jaume Munar
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Ruud v Munar Tip: Fonseca to win: 2/5
Jack Draper v Corentin Moutet
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Draper v Moutet Tip: Three sets in the match: 6/5
