Botic van de ZandschulpvsAleksandar Kovacevic

Botic van de Zandschulp meets Aleksandar Kovacevic in the Round of 64 at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on May 8, 2026, on clay. Van de Zandschulp sits at number 54 in the rankings while Kovacevic is at number 95.

The two have never played each other. Van de Zandschulp has won 3 of his last 5 matches and carries a one-match winning streak into Rome after competing just two days ago. Kovacevic has won 2 of his last 5 and arrives having dropped his most recent outing; he has played four times in the last two weeks. Against shared opposition, van de Zandschulp defeated both Damir Dzumhur and Denis Shapovalov while Kovacevic fell to both, though Kovacevic beat Mackenzie McDonald while van de Zandschulp did not.

Van de Zandschulp holds a 13-7 record on clay in his recent sample, showing comfort on the surface. Kovacevic's clay record sits at 7-13, marking a significant weakness on the dirt. Van de Zandschulp builds points through patient baseline rallies and physical returns, a method that typically suits clay courts. Kovacevic relies heavily on his serve to dictate play and close points quickly. The match will test whether van de Zandschulp can neutralize Kovacevic's serve while maintaining consistency from the back of the court, and whether Kovacevic can find enough rhythm in his service games to shorten points on a surface that naturally favors extended exchanges.