Rome’s final clay-court ATP Masters event of the season was set to begin with Daniel Altmaier tipped to edge Zhizhen Zhang in three sets on Day 1. The German was described as a natural clay-courter, a profile that gives him the kind of rhythm the slow surface in Rome is supposed to reward.
Zhang, by contrast, has dealt with physical struggles throughout much of his career and was described as sitting outside the top 200, which leaves him with a difficult assignment against a player expected to settle into the conditions quickly. The prediction was one of several made for Rome’s opening day, with Matteo Arnaldi and Jaume Munar also part of the slate.
That wider card adds another layer to a tournament that arrives at an important point in the clay season. Altmaier’s matchup is the first signal of how Rome may play for players who like time on the ball, while Arnaldi’s meeting with Munar carries a different kind of pressure. Arnaldi had not yet won a tour-level match in 2026, and Munar came in after a solid 2025 but a below-par start to 2026, with the Spaniard projected to beat the Italian in two sets.
The tension in the predictions is that Rome often exposes the gap between comfort on clay and current form. Altmaier has the surface in his corner, but Zhang’s name has long been tied to resilience through physical setbacks, and that can complicate even a matchup that looks straightforward on paper. Munar’s own line is less forgiving: after a solid 2025, he arrives with more to prove than Arnaldi, who is still looking for that first tour-level victory of the season.
For now, the opening day slate points to Rome beginning with the players best suited to the dirt having the clearest path. If the forecasts hold, Altmaier should be the one setting the tone, and Munar should be the other early winner who leaves the first round with momentum.