This past week at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italian tennis fans had plenty to cheer about. Both Jannik Sinner and Jasmine Paolini reached the singles finals at the Italian Open, giving the home crowd heroes to root for.
Sinner Chasing Historic Win
Jannik Sinner is aiming to end a nearly 50-year wait for an Italian man to win the Rome tournament. The last time was Adriano Panatta back in 1976. Sinner, the world number one, faces off against rival Carlos Alcaraz in an exciting final. This is a big moment for Sinner, who returned to the tour after a three-month ban for accidental doping last year.
A Trailblazer for Italian Tennis
At just 23, Sinner made history earlier this year as the first Italian man since Panatta to win a Grand Slam, claiming the Australian Open title in January 2024. He also became Italy’s first world number one in June and won the ATP Finals in Turin later that year. With 19 career titles, including three Grand Slams, Sinner is a key figure in Italy’s tennis resurgence.
Italy’s Tennis Boom
Italy’s success is not limited to Sinner. The country won both the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup in 2024, thanks in part to players like Jasmine Paolini, who is aiming to win her first WTA 1000 trophy in Rome — the first Italian woman to do so since 1985.
Italian men have claimed 31 ATP titles since 2016, a huge jump from just eight in the previous decade. Rising stars like Lorenzo Musetti, now in the top 10, and others such as Luciano Darderi and Flavio Cobolli, show the depth of Italy’s talent. Nine Italians are currently ranked in the ATP top 100, only behind the USA and France.
Fifteen Years of Hard Work
At the start of the 2000s, Italian men’s tennis struggled, with Andrea Gaudenzi as the top player ranked 54th, and Italy competing in lower Davis Cup divisions. The revival started with the women’s team, winning four Fed Cups from 2006 to 2013, and singles champions like Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta making big breakthroughs.
The men’s game gained momentum with Fabio Fognini winning Monte Carlo in 2019, followed by stars like Matteo Berrettini and Sinner rising to the top.
Smart Changes Behind the Success
Spain’s former world number seven Emilio Sanchez credits Italy’s tennis rise to 15 years of smart work by the Italian Tennis Federation (FITP). They changed their youth training approach by decentralizing it, allowing players to stay closer to home while still receiving support.
FITP’s Filippo Volandri explains that this system, which includes many coaches and mental and physical trainers, helps young players reach their full potential. This is different from before, when many players matured late or didn’t reach top levels.
New Playing Style and Training Focus
Italy, traditionally known for clay courts, started building hard courts and changed its training focus. Instead of emphasizing technical skills like forehands and backhands alone, they now focus more on tactics, serves, and returns, says FITP’s Michelangelo Dell’Edera.
This fresh approach is helping Italy produce a new generation of tennis stars ready to compete at the highest levels worldwide.
