How Italy Became A Tennis Superpower

One of the most obvious reasons why Italy has produced so many successful players, both male and female, in recent years is the fact that it now has probably the most impressive tennis infrastructure of any non-Major-hosting tennis nation, with the possible exception of Spain.

The sheer number of tournaments being staged in Italy, from the biggest (such as the Italian Open and the ATP Tour Finals in Turin) to the smallest (the numerous Challenger and Future tournaments that have sprung up in recent years), has effectively meant that young Italian players can develop their craft on home soil, particularly home clay, which is obviously easier and cheaper than having to constantly travel abroad, as was the case in the past.

And in the wake of Italy’s latest tennis triumph at the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup, it has also been pointed out that, more so than most other major tennis nations, the whole country has been able to share in its recent tennis success, at both individual and team level, because almost all of it has been shown on free-to-air TV. There is a dedicated free-to-air tennis channel, SuperTennis, which broadcasts the US Open among other events, and there is also coverage of the Italian Open and other high-profile tournaments on the public broadcaster Rai. Although subscription channels are necessary for comprehensive coverage, as elsewhere, the fact that so much of Italy’s recent tennis success has been available freely for the majority of the country to watch has undoubtedly helped to build on that success.

1. The Superstar: Jannik Sinner

Perhaps the most important tennis tournament that Italy has hosted in the last decade or so is the NextGen Finals for the most gifted young male players on tour. It staged the very first NextGen Finals in Milan in 2017 and continued to do so until 2022, after which the event moved to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. And that period coincided with the arrival of Italy’s first great modern superstar of tennis, Jannik Sinner.

Sinner won the NextGen Finals in 2019, with a performance so impressive that it prompted many tennis writers, myself included, to wonder whether he could be the future of men’s tennis. He has indeed proven to be, alongside Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, and already the two of them have created a duopoly at the top of men’s tennis that seems likely to last for years, if not decades.

However, even as Sinner now bestrides men’s tennis like a colossus, it is worth remembering that he first rose to fame and in particular national prominence in Italy by winning the NextGen Finals in 2019 in his home country. And he was only able to do so because he had been granted a wild card into the tournament as a promising young player.

Such are Sinner’s talents that he would almost certainly have succeeded without being given such a helping hand and without winning the NextGen Finals at the first opportunity. Nevertheless, the fact that he did so is perhaps the best illustration of how Italy’s national adoration of tennis and its burgeoning tennis infrastructure have also helped to catapult its brightest young players of the 21^st century into the global spotlight right at the beginning of their career.

1. The Supporting Cast (Paolini, Musetti et al)

For all of Sinner’s greatness, it has also obviously helped Italian tennis to have such a stunning supporting cast alongside their superstar, to ease the pressure on him and to show that other Italian players, both male and female, are capable of following him to the very top of the sport.

The best example is Jasmine Paolini, who has spoken openly and repeatedly about how inspired she has been by Sinner’s recent success, to the extent that in the last two years she has completely transformed her game and indeed her persona. Having been something of a journeywoman for most of her career, since helping Italy to reach the BJK Cup Final in 2023 (which they lost to Canada) she has reached two Major Singles finals (at Roland Garros and Wimbledon last year), won several Major Doubles titles (including the Olympic title in 2024 and the French Open title in 2025) with her veteran compatriot and semi-coach Sara Errani, and of course become the absolute mainstay of Italy’s BJK Cup team.

On the men’s side, no other Italian man is yet to match the astonishing consistency of Sinner, but perhaps no other male player of any nationality, with the possible exception of Alcaraz, is capable of doing that. Nevertheless, numerous Italian men have also been inspired by Sinner to make enormous progress, with Lorenzo Musetti reaching two Major semifinals in the last two seasons (at Wimbledon in 2024 and Roland Garros this year) and Flavio Cobolli reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinal just a few months ago.

Of course, there are many other Italian players, male and female, who are not only improving their own individual rankings but ensuring that both the Italian Davis Cup team and the Italian BJK Cup team will be full of willing team members in the next few years.

1. The Current Virtuous Circle (or Circolo Virtuoso) of Italian Tennis

Nothing is more likely to create future success than present success, and the current, incredibly healthy state of Italian tennis is entirely likely to lead to more individual and team success in tennis in the years ahead. In effect, over the last decade or so Italy has created almost exactly the right conditions for tennis success – a national love of the game that is finally being consummated, a burgeoning tennis infrastructure, and above all success at individual and team level that inspires others to try and emulate it – to be sustained over the coming years.

There are no guarantees, of course. It is not so long ago in historical terms that Sweden were probably the great superpower of men’s tennis, with Björn Borg’s breakthrough in the 1970s being followed over the next two decades by the Major-winning achievements of Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg and others. Now, however, Sweden does not have a male player within the world’s top 200.

However, having acknowledged that there is no guarantee for lasting tennis success as a nation, it must also be acknowledged that Italy has perhaps come as close to finding one as any country has, certainly in recent years. At the very least, they look likely to continue to dominate both the Davis Cup and the BJK Cup, especially while Sinner and Paolini remain so absolutely committed to the national cause. And with Sinner also likely to continue to dominate men’s tennis alongside Carlos Alcaraz for the foreseeable future, there is every chance that he and Italy will also add to their collection of Major Singles titles.

Put simply, the future is bright; the future is azzurro.