J J Wolf defeated Hubert Hurkacz 6–3, 6–4 in the first round of the Rome Masters on clay on 13 May 2023, recording a significant upset against the pre-match favourite. Hurkacz, who carried odds of 1.26 to Wolf's 4.28, was unable to impose his baseline game on the slow surface, conceding both sets with relative comfort to the American. Wolf's straight-sets victory represented a notable scalp for the rising American player against a top-20 opponent in a Masters 1000 event. The result suggests Wolf's clay-court credentials warrant fresh consideration ahead of the French Open season.