Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Tomáš Macháč in the first round of the Italian Open on Thursday. The 27-year-old arrives in Italy on the back of an encouraging run in Madrid, and will hope to take some confidence from his previous strong showings at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament. Macháč has shown glimpses of his quality on clay this year, but hasn’t found the consistency needed to reach the next level.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Tomáš Macháč Match Details
Date: May 7, 2026
Tournament: Italian Open 2026
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Surface: Outdoor Clay
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, Sky Sports, TSN
Tsitsipas vs Macháč Head-to-Head Record
The head-to-head between these two players stands at 1-1, with Macháč triumphing in their most recent meeting at the 2026 Australian Open in four sets. But it is Tsitsipas who goes into this match with more momentum on his side, having made the fourth round in Madrid.
Tsitsipas defeated Patrick Kypson, Alexander Bublik, and Daniel Merida Aguilar in Madrid before losing to Casper Ruud in the Round of 16. This upturn in form comes after a dismal run and will give the Greek player some confidence ahead of a tournament where he has previously made the final once and the semifinals twice.
Macháč had an encouraging start to his clay-court swing and was the only player to take a set off Jannik Sinner in Monte-Carlo. He also reached the quarterfinals in Barcelona, but fell to Cameron Norrie in three hard-fought sets in the second round of the Madrid Open.
The 25-year-old has an overall win-loss record of 12-9 this year, but clay is by no means his preferred surface.
Tsitsipas vs Macháč Prediction and Pick
Tsitsipas is a player with a strong clay-court pedigree, with five of his 12 titles coming on the surface. Despite his woes this season, he has a 74% win percentage on the red dirt and will be hopeful that his run in Madrid can spark a turnaround in form after a poor start to the season.
Macháč is a gritty player who will certainly not make things easy for Tsitsipas. He plays with high intensity and moves well on the court. He will also take confidence from his win over Tsitsipas at the Australian Open earlier this year.
But after finding some momentum in Madrid, Tsitsipas will be determined to utilize his clay-court expertise to rise in the rankings ahead of the French Open.
This will no doubt be a tight match, but we believe Tsitsipas will get the win and go on to secure another meeting against his rival, Daniil Medvedev.
Pick – Tsitsipas in three sets.
