It’s that time of the year again. In Rome, it’s not just the brightly blooming flowers and ever-warming rays that suggest summer is on the way – but the arrival of the world’s leading tennis stars for the Italian Open.

They stare down at you from billboards across the city, while a temporary clay court has popped up in Piazza del Popolo for lucky players competing at the Masters 1000 event to enjoy the most visually spectacular practice session imaginable.

For calcio fans in the Eternal City, it offers a chance to temporarily block out an intense Serie A season run-in for Lazio and Roma and watch the world’s best battling it out in a different sport.

Or so they might have thought. It turns out that’s not as easy as it sounds, as tennis and football have intertwined in the last 12 months since the revelation that American Tommy Paul is a big Lazio fan.     

Ahead of his opening match against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut at Foro Italico on Saturday, the world No 12 has met fans, been presented with a personalised Lazio shirt and described his arrival in the capital as being “back in Lazio Land.”

Not only that, but four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz plans to be in the Stadio Olimpico to cheer on the Biancocelesti when they face Juventus on Saturday too.

Why does Tommy Paul support Lazio?

The Tommy Paul-Lazio love-in kicked into gear last year when the American went on a career-best run to the semi-finals at the Italian Open.

Along the way, he celebrated wins by scribbling ‘Forza Lazio’ on courtside cameras, went to the Olimpico to support the Aquile in action against Empoli, attached a Lazio crest keyring to his racket bag and draped a Lazio scarf around his neck while signing autographs on court. 

The obvious question that quickly came to mind was – how did the man from New Jersey end up adopting a passion for the boys in blue? 

It is down to another American tennis player, Reilly Opelka, whose longer-running passion for the capital’s oldest club rubbed off on his friend and fellow ATP Tour regular.

“I became a Lazio fan thanks to Opelka,” Paul explained on his return to Rome this week.

“He came (to Rome) with some of his friends who were Lazio fans, and they took him to see the team and the crowd, and he fell in love straight away. Then he told me about it, and now we are both big Lazio fans.”

Paul revealed that his favourite player is French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, but he was unsure if he will be able to return to the Olimpico for the evening kick-off against top-four rivals Juve this weekend.

“On Saturday I have to play, I’m hoping to do it in the morning so I can go to watch the game at 6pm. I really want to be there,” he said.

Some good news has arrived since, with Saturday’s Italian Open schedule having Paul down to face Bautista Agut at 11am, leaving him with plenty of time to take a seat for a gargantuan showdown in the Champions League race.

Alcaraz cheers on pal Patric

Another man who will be in attendance on Saturday night is reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz.

The Spanish sensation opened his quest for Italian Open glory with a routine win over Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic on Friday, after which he revealed has calcio-themed weekend plans.

Lazio defender Patric Gabarron, who is currently out injured, is a friend of Alcaraz and convinced him to come along.

“Tomorrow, I will enjoy Rome; I will get the chance to visit the city, and then I’ll go to the Olimpico to watch the Serie A match.

“Lazio have a Spanish player who I know (Patric). We will make the most of this chance to see each other, and then I will be able to have a look around Rome, a beautiful city.”

Alcaraz has made no secret of his love for Real Madrid in the past, but who knows? Perhaps Patric can convince an even more illustrious tennis star to start following Lazio.