2021 Italian Open – Men's singles
Rafael Nadal defeated the defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final, 7–5, 1–6, 6–3 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2021 Italian Open. It was his record-extending tenth Italian Open title and record-equaling 36th Masters 1000 title overall (matching Djokovic's tally). Nadal saved two match points en route to the title, in his third round match against Denis Shapovalov. This marked the fourth tournament that Nadal had won on 10 or more occasions (in addition to the French Open, the Monte-Carlo Masters, and the Barcelona Open), making him the only tennis player to do so.
| Men's singles | |
|---|---|
| 2021 Italian Open | |
| Champion | Rafael Nadal |
| Runner-up | Novak Djokovic |
| Score | 7–5, 1–6, 6–3 |
| Draw | 56 (8 Q / 5 WC ) |
| Seeds | 16 |
It was Djokovic's sixth runner-up finish at the Italian Open, a record for the most runner-up finishes at one event on the ATP Tour. (Djokovic equaled this record later that year at the US Open, while attempting to complete the Grand Slam).
Lorenzo Sonego became the first Italian man to reach the semifinals in Rome since Filippo Volandri in 2007.