Novak Djokovic’s decision not to compete in the 2025 Italian Open ended an unprecedented run of Big Three appearances in Rome. The Serbian great has not provided an explanation for his decision to withdraw from the Italian Open for the first time since his debut. In his most recent outing, the 37-year-old was defeated by Matteo Arnaldi in the first round of the Madrid Open, his third consecutive straight-set loss.

Between 2000 and 2024, at least one of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Roger Federer competed in the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome on 25 consecutive occasions. The legendary trio ranks first, second, and third in the most matches won at the Italian Open, which began in 1930. Here, we examine the history of the Big Three in the famed clay-court tournament.

Roger Federer

Federer made his debut in Rome in 2000 and lost his first-ever match at the Foro Italico to Andrei Medvedev.

The Swiss went on to compile a 34-16 (68%) record from his 16 campaign at the tournament. The Italian Open is one of just two Masters 1000 events that Federer did not win, along with the Monte Carlo Masters.

The 20-time major winner was a four-time runner-up in Rome, reaching the semi-finals twice and the quarter-finals twice more. Federer’s title losses came against Felix Mantilla (2003), Rafael Nadal (2006 and 2013), and Novak Djokovic (2015).

In 2019, he made his final appearance at the Italian Open, defeating Borna Coric before withdrawing ahead of his quarter-final match against Stefanos Tsitsipas.