Players who will miss the 2023 Italian Open ft. Rafael Nadal, Emma Raducanu, Petra Kvitova, and more

With tennis action coming to a close in the Spanish capital, the focus now will shift to the 2023 Italian Open — the final ATP Masters/WTA 1000 of the year and the last stop before Roland Garros.

Women's World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will return to defend her title in Rome for the second year running, as will the 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. The duo are set to face stiff resistance from packed fields in both the men's and women's competitions.

That said, the 80th edition of the event will have a few notable absentees. Here, we have listed five top players who will not be participating in Rome this year.

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10-time Italian Open champ Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal will the Italian Open trophy.

Rafael Nadal has not played a match since losing in the second round of the Australian Open back in January. The Spaniard's comeback was delayed as he withdrew from the Monte-Carlo Masters due to a prolonged recovery from a hip injury he sustained at the start of the season. He then missed his home events at Barcelona and Madrid.

While many observers believed that the Spaniard would play at the Italian Open to get some match practice heading into Roland Garros, that will not be case. The 10-time Italian Open champion will nonetheless be a favorite to lift the crown in Paris should be compete at the claycourt Major.

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Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

Matteo Berrettini, who missed last year's event in view of a surgery on his right hand, will not be playing at his home event for the second row in a year. He recently took to social media to announce his decision to withdraw from the event as he continues to nurse a stomach muscle tear.

Berrettini made the last 16 in Rome last year before losing out in straight sets to Stefanos Tsitsipas. In his absence, the likes of Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti will lead the Italian contingent in Rome.

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Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova at the BNP Paribas Open.

Petra Kvitova has struggled with a foot injury ever since lifting her 30th career title at Miami in March this year. The Czech, who is yet to win a match on clay this year — having only played one, in Madrid — has decided to take some extra time off the tennis court before Roland Garros and will give the Italian Open a skip.

The two-time Wimbledon champion has never won the Italian Open. Her best past result was reaching the quarterfinals twice in 2012 and 2015.

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Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu at the 2022 Italian Open.

Another Grand Slam champion who will be missing from this year's Italian Open will be the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. The Brit, who recently underwent a minor surgery on her hand, has already announced her leave of absence in view of the proceedure.

Raducanu will be out for at least a couple of months, meaning that she will be sitting out Roland Garros and her home Slam at WImbledon as well.

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Belinda Bencic

Belinda Bencic at the 2022 Credit One Charleston Open.

Belinda Bencic made a splendid start to the 2023 claycourt season, reaching the summit clash in Charleston. She looked primed for more success, but her progress was halted by an untimely hip injury — which effectively ruled her out of the entire European summer swing.

The Swiss player does not have the best record playing in Rome, with only three wins to show for in six total appearances. She will now be eyeing a comeback at Roland Garros.