“I don’t even look. Because if you start to, your head goes everywhere,” Fils told reporters.
“I try to be focused. I still have to play here in Madrid, and I have to play Rome, then more preparation, and the French Open. So I have a lot of time.
“When you’re injured you get a lot of … criticism, bad comments. So I stopped looking at it (social media). Since then, I’m feeling pretty good without it.”
While Fils’ goal will undoubtedly be to become the first Frenchman to win a Grand Slam since Yannick Noah’s 1983 Roland Garros triumph, his immediate focus is on world number one Jannik Sinner in the Madrid semis on Friday.
“I haven’t lost a match on clay. He hasn’t lost a match on clay and hardcourts since a long time. It’s going to be pretty good,” Fils said.
“I don’t even look. Because if you start to, your head goes everywhere,” Fils told reporters.
“I try to be focused. I still have to play here in Madrid, and I have to play Rome, then more preparation, and the French Open. So I have a lot of time.
“When you’re injured you get a lot of … criticism, bad comments. So I stopped looking at it (social media). Since then, I’m feeling pretty good without it.”
While Fils’ goal will undoubtedly be to become the first Frenchman to win a Grand Slam since Yannick Noah’s 1983 Roland Garros triumph, his immediate focus is on world number one Jannik Sinner in the Madrid semis on Friday.
“I haven’t lost a match on clay. He hasn’t lost a match on clay and hardcourts since a long time. It’s going to be pretty good,” Fils said.
Published on Apr 30, 2026
#Madrid #Open #Fils #ready #Sinner #clash #ahead #Roland #Garros">Madrid Open: Fils ready for Sinner clash ahead of Roland Garros
Coming on the heels of his Barcelona triumph earlier this month, Arthur Fils’ run to the Madrid Open semifinals shows he has fully recovered from a long-term back problem and is ready to make a real statement at the French Open on home soil.
A stress fracture in his lower back suffered at Roland Garros last year all but wiped out the remainder of Fils’ season, with his brief return in Toronto in August proving to be premature and forcing another long period of rehabilitation.
Since returning in February, Fils has made deep runs at Doha, Indian Wells and Miami before going all the way in Barcelona, where he downed Andrey Rublev in the final to win his first title since his comeback.
Fils beat Jiri Lehecka 6-3 6-4 in the Madrid quarters on Wednesday to further heighten expectations before the French Open begins on May 24, but the 21-year-old is shutting out all the noise.
“I don’t even look. Because if you start to, your head goes everywhere,” Fils told reporters.
“I try to be focused. I still have to play here in Madrid, and I have to play Rome, then more preparation, and the French Open. So I have a lot of time.
“When you’re injured you get a lot of … criticism, bad comments. So I stopped looking at it (social media). Since then, I’m feeling pretty good without it.”
While Fils’ goal will undoubtedly be to become the first Frenchman to win a Grand Slam since Yannick Noah’s 1983 Roland Garros triumph, his immediate focus is on world number one Jannik Sinner in the Madrid semis on Friday.
“I haven’t lost a match on clay. He hasn’t lost a match on clay and hardcourts since a long time. It’s going to be pretty good,” Fils said.
#Madrid #Open #Lucky #loser #Potapova #history #reaching #semifinal">Madrid Open: Lucky loser Potapova makes history by reaching semifinal
Anastasia Potapova turned tennis heartbreak into history by becoming the first lucky loser to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal with her thrilling 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova at the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
The Russian-born Austrian, who lost in qualifying last week, has capitalised on her unexpected main draw entry and stunned former world number one Pliskova in a roller-coaster clash despite squandering three match points.
Potapova’s run has included impressive victories over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and world number two Elena Rybakina.
Asked if she had thought she would be in the final four after her qualifying loss, the unseeded Potapova said: “No, I wouldn’t, for any money and anything. That’s what makes our sport beautiful. I was given a second chance, and now I’m here. I’m super happy. There’s nothing better that could happen to me in my life at the moment.”
After cruising through Wednesday’s opening set, Potapova appeared destined for a straightforward victory when she earned three match points in the second.
But Pliskova clawed her way back to force a tiebreak and level the match.
Potapova trailed 3-1 in the decider, only to reel off five consecutive games and seal victory with her 10th ace before collapsing to her knees.
“I was given a few match points in the second set on serve. I couldn’t manage my nerves at the time, I know that,” Potapova said.
“But it seems like this tournament keeps giving me second chances and I keep using them.”
Potapova will face Marta Kostyuk in the semifinals after the Ukrainian beat Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 6-0. Kostyuk defeated Potapova in the fourth round last year in Madrid, and is undefeated on clay this year.
#Jack #Draper #ruled #French #Open #due #knee #injury">Jack Draper ruled out of French Open 2026 due to knee injury
Jack Draper announced on Wednesday he had been ruled out of the French Open with a knee injury.
It was a further setback for the 24-year-old British tennis player, a former world number four, following a longstanding arm injury that sidelined him for close to eight months.
Draper has managed just nine matches across five events since returning to competitive action in February and retired during his first-round clash with Tomas Etcheverry at the Barcelona Open earlier this month.
He was subsequently diagnosed with an aggravated knee tendon injury but had hoped to feature in the second Grand Slam of the year next month.
Draper has now decided against risking further injury on the clay at Roland Garros and will now try to regain full fitness ahead of the grass-court season, with Wimbledon starting on June 29.
“My knee is on the mend, and I’ve started back hitting balls, but, unfortunately, I have been advised not to play Roland Garros,” Draper wrote on Instagram. “As gutting as it is to miss another slam, the advice is not to rush straight back into playing five-set tennis on clay.
“Off the back of the arm injury I sustained last year, I’ve been restricted with my training and by giving myself the time to heal and build, I can be the player I want to be out there once again. See you soon!”
Under a year ago, Draper was ranked in the world’s top four after winning the title at Indian Wells and finishing runner-up at another Masters 1000 event in Madrid.
But he now joins the injured Carlos Alcaraz in missing the French Open, with Draper likely to be outside the top 100 in the rankings when he does return.
#Madrid #Open #Sinner #criticises #schedule #surging #quarterfinals">Madrid Open 2026: Sinner criticises schedule after surging into quarterfinals
Jannik Sinner suggested the Madrid Open organisers should reconsider their tournament scheduling to avoid late-night finishes like the one Rafael Jodar experienced in the third round on Sunday.
In a rare 11:00 am start on Tuesday, Sinner moved past British 19th seed Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals.
He explained he was put on first on Manolo Santana Stadium so that Jodar, his potential next opponent, would be scheduled in the afternoon to give the Spaniard time to recover from his three-set win over Joao Fonseca that ended at 1:00 am on Monday morning.
“It’s quite unusual for me,” Sinner told Tennis TV about his early kick-off.
“I don’t know the last time I played at 11. But for me it doesn’t matter what time. I try to do my best. For me, there was a question if it would be me or Jodar to play at 4. But I think it’s right he plays at 4, because he finished very, very late.
“But at the same time, I feel like we need to make some adjustments to the scheduling of the day. Two matches (starting) from 8pm is very late. Even though you have one day in between. But still it’s very, very late. You finish at 1:30am, and you need to eat, you need to have treatment, so it’s very late. But we try to adapt ourselves, our bodies, our minds, so from my side it was a good performance today.”
In his first-ever meeting with Norrie, Sinner won 81 percent of his first-serve points, and 63 percent of the points behind his second delivery on his way to notching a 25th consecutive victory at the Masters 1000 level.
“We know each other quite well. We practised a lot in the last tournaments, also. So, we both knew what to expect. I was serving well today in the important moments,” said Sinner, who awaits Jodar of Vit Kopriva in the last-eight stage.
The Italian World No. 1 is just the second man in series history to win his first 20 Masters 1000 matches of the season, joining Novak Djokovic, who achieved that feat twice, in 2011 and 2015.
Sinner is competing in Madrid for just the fourth time in his career and is bidding to reach the semifinals for the first time in the Spanish capital.
“This surface is very, very different than all the other surfaces, so it’s very tough to get the right feedback,” Sinner said after his win over Norrie.
“Sometimes you feel like you’re not playing your best but from the outside it seems that you are, and sometimes it’s also the opposite. But I’m very happy to be in the quarters again. It’s a tournament I haven’t played a lot, so it means a lot to me and I’m happy to be through in two sets.”
Meanwhile, last week’s Barcelona champion Arthur Fils advanced to the quarterfinals at the Caja Magica with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Argentine 25th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Fils, seeded 21 in Madrid, has made the quarter-finals in six of the seven tournaments he has contested so far in 2026 .The Frenchman will take on Lorenzo Musetti or Jiri Lehecka for a place in the final four.
“We can’t just sit back there and just hope that the Rafas (Nadal) or Rogers (Federer) will just happen to come out, right? You can’t depend on luck all your life,” ATP chief executive Eno Polo told Reuters at the Madrid Open.
“This is a great programme to help accelerate that, and also because there’s a lot of places in the world where they don’t have the support of the federations that have structures.”
The launch aligns with PIF’s 2026–2030 strategy, under which the $925 billion sovereign wealth fund plans to focus investment across six key themes as it looks to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond oil.
“We can’t just sit back there and just hope that the Rafas (Nadal) or Rogers (Federer) will just happen to come out, right? You can’t depend on luck all your life,” ATP chief executive Eno Polo told Reuters at the Madrid Open.
“This is a great programme to help accelerate that, and also because there’s a lot of places in the world where they don’t have the support of the federations that have structures.”
The launch aligns with PIF’s 2026–2030 strategy, under which the $925 billion sovereign wealth fund plans to focus investment across six key themes as it looks to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond oil.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
#ATP #Saudi #PIF #launch #programme #support #rising #talent">ATP and Saudi PIF launch programme to support rising talent
The ATP and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) launched the ATP Next Gen Accelerator on Thursday, a programme aimed at supporting rising talent and widening opportunities for players from the Global South as they seek to break onto the ATP Tour.
Eligible players will gain access to ATP Tennis IQ Powered by PIF, an integrated performance technology platform, along with medical support, structured education and enhanced promotion across ATP platforms.
The initiative seeks to level the playing field for emerging players and provide greater stability for young professionals.
“We can’t just sit back there and just hope that the Rafas (Nadal) or Rogers (Federer) will just happen to come out, right? You can’t depend on luck all your life,” ATP chief executive Eno Polo told Reuters at the Madrid Open.
“This is a great programme to help accelerate that, and also because there’s a lot of places in the world where they don’t have the support of the federations that have structures.”
The launch aligns with PIF’s 2026–2030 strategy, under which the $925 billion sovereign wealth fund plans to focus investment across six key themes as it looks to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond oil.
Also in Thursday’s draw for the Cup playoffs, France will host Australia in a first meeting since the 2019 final won by France in Perth; and Brazil will host 2023 champion Canada.
Also, it’s: Poland vs. Sweden; Japan vs. Argentina; Thailand vs. Switzerland; and Slovenia vs. Indonesia.
Playoff winners advance to the 2027 qualifiers while the losing teams will drop to regional events next year.
The other qualifiers for the finals beside Belgium are defending champion Italy, Britain, Kazakhstan, Spain, Czech Republic, and Ukraine. Host nation China qualified automatically.
Also in Thursday’s draw for the Cup playoffs, France will host Australia in a first meeting since the 2019 final won by France in Perth; and Brazil will host 2023 champion Canada.
Also, it’s: Poland vs. Sweden; Japan vs. Argentina; Thailand vs. Switzerland; and Slovenia vs. Indonesia.
Playoff winners advance to the 2027 qualifiers while the losing teams will drop to regional events next year.
The other qualifiers for the finals beside Belgium are defending champion Italy, Britain, Kazakhstan, Spain, Czech Republic, and Ukraine. Host nation China qualified automatically.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
#host #Hungary #Billie #Jean #King #Cup #playoffs #France #draws #Australia">US to host Hungary in Billie Jean King Cup playoffs and France draws Australia
The United States will host Hungary in the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs in November when the record 18-time champion looks to get back on track in women’s team tennis.
The U.S. reached the final last year for the first time since 2018 but lost to Belgium 3-1 this month in qualifying for this year’s finals.
Hungary should include Anna Bondár, a BJK Cup regular who on Thursday at the Madrid Open beat No. 7-ranked Elina Svitolina and became the first Hungarian woman to beat a top-10 player since Timea Babos beat Coco Vandeweghe in 2018.
Also in Thursday’s draw for the Cup playoffs, France will host Australia in a first meeting since the 2019 final won by France in Perth; and Brazil will host 2023 champion Canada.
Also, it’s: Poland vs. Sweden; Japan vs. Argentina; Thailand vs. Switzerland; and Slovenia vs. Indonesia.
Playoff winners advance to the 2027 qualifiers while the losing teams will drop to regional events next year.
The other qualifiers for the finals beside Belgium are defending champion Italy, Britain, Kazakhstan, Spain, Czech Republic, and Ukraine. Host nation China qualified automatically.
Fils won seven consecutive games before Rublev managed to hold serve early in the second set. The 28-year-old then saved seven break points in a prolonged game to stay level at 2-2.
The 21-year-old Fils broke again with a clever backhand drop shot to move 4-2 ahead. However, serving for the match at 5-3, he made three successive errors to allow Rublev back into the contest.
Rublev saved three match points to hold serve for 5-5 and then broke Fils to lead 6-5. But Fils responded immediately, breaking back to force a tie-break, which he won comfortably 7-2.
“The way you are playing, it’s ridiculous. You’ve proved that you’re one of the best players on the Tour,” Rublev said.
Fils won seven consecutive games before Rublev managed to hold serve early in the second set. The 28-year-old then saved seven break points in a prolonged game to stay level at 2-2.
The 21-year-old Fils broke again with a clever backhand drop shot to move 4-2 ahead. However, serving for the match at 5-3, he made three successive errors to allow Rublev back into the contest.
Rublev saved three match points to hold serve for 5-5 and then broke Fils to lead 6-5. But Fils responded immediately, breaking back to force a tie-break, which he won comfortably 7-2.
“The way you are playing, it’s ridiculous. You’ve proved that you’re one of the best players on the Tour,” Rublev said.
Published on Apr 19, 2026
#Arthur #Fils #downs #Rublev #win #Barcelona #Open #secures #fourth #ATP #title">Arthur Fils downs Rublev to win Barcelona Open; secures his fourth ATP title
Frenchman Arthur Fils continued his strong run of form since returning from an eight-month injury lay-off, beating Russia’s higher-ranked Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6(2) to win the Barcelona Open and claim his first title since 2024.
Fils, who suffered a lower-back stress fracture last year, returned in February and reached the final of the Qatar Open and the semifinal of the Miami Open. He secured his fourth ATP title on Sunday, and his third on clay, with the French Open a month away.
“It’s been a tough few months, struggling with the injury, but we’re back on court and winning the trophy, so I’m pretty happy about that,” Fils said at the presentation ceremony.
Fils dropped serve in the opening game after missing the baseline with a couple of shots, but he responded quickly, breaking back in the fourth game to level at 2-2.
Rublev struggled to match Fils thereafter, as the Frenchman sharpened his forehand returns, consistently finding the lines and pushing the fifth seed onto the back foot to take the first set in 31 minutes.
Fils won seven consecutive games before Rublev managed to hold serve early in the second set. The 28-year-old then saved seven break points in a prolonged game to stay level at 2-2.
The 21-year-old Fils broke again with a clever backhand drop shot to move 4-2 ahead. However, serving for the match at 5-3, he made three successive errors to allow Rublev back into the contest.
Rublev saved three match points to hold serve for 5-5 and then broke Fils to lead 6-5. But Fils responded immediately, breaking back to force a tie-break, which he won comfortably 7-2.
“The way you are playing, it’s ridiculous. You’ve proved that you’re one of the best players on the Tour,” Rublev said.
Cobolli took control early, breaking Zverev to love in the fourth game of the opening set.
Zverev struggled to make an impact on Cobolli’s serve, and when the World No. 16 broke again in the first game of the second set, the match began to slip away from the German.
Two powerful crosscourt forehands, followed by a crisp volley to close out the seventh game, handed Cobolli a double break and the opportunity to serve for the match.
Zverev briefly fought back, earning his first break points of the contest and converting on his second attempt to delay the inevitable.
However, Cobolli regained control in the next game, earning match point with a forehand on the run before Zverev miscued a deep return to seal the result.
Cobolli advances to his second final of the season and will look to add to the title he won in Acapulco in February.
Cobolli took control early, breaking Zverev to love in the fourth game of the opening set.
Zverev struggled to make an impact on Cobolli’s serve, and when the World No. 16 broke again in the first game of the second set, the match began to slip away from the German.
Two powerful crosscourt forehands, followed by a crisp volley to close out the seventh game, handed Cobolli a double break and the opportunity to serve for the match.
Zverev briefly fought back, earning his first break points of the contest and converting on his second attempt to delay the inevitable.
However, Cobolli regained control in the next game, earning match point with a forehand on the run before Zverev miscued a deep return to seal the result.
Cobolli advances to his second final of the season and will look to add to the title he won in Acapulco in February.
Published on Apr 18, 2026
#Cobolli #downs #World #Zverev #reach #Munich #final">Cobolli downs World No. 3 Zverev to reach first Munich final
Flavio Cobolli ended top seed Alexander Zverev’s Munich Open title defence on Saturday, as the Italian eased past the World No. 3 in straight sets to reach the final.
Fourth seed Cobolli beat the home favourite 6-3, 6-3 in just under 70 minutes in their semifinal.
The 23-year-old’s commanding performance dashed Zverev’s hopes of a record fourth title on the clay in Munich.
Cobolli will face either second seed Ben Shelton of the United States or Slovak qualifier Alex Molčan in Sunday’s final.
“One of my best matches ever against one of my closest friends on tour,” Cobolli said. “I’m a little bit shy when I play a top player, but today I played one of my best matches and I’m really happy.”
Cobolli took control early, breaking Zverev to love in the fourth game of the opening set.
Zverev struggled to make an impact on Cobolli’s serve, and when the World No. 16 broke again in the first game of the second set, the match began to slip away from the German.
Two powerful crosscourt forehands, followed by a crisp volley to close out the seventh game, handed Cobolli a double break and the opportunity to serve for the match.
Zverev briefly fought back, earning his first break points of the contest and converting on his second attempt to delay the inevitable.
However, Cobolli regained control in the next game, earning match point with a forehand on the run before Zverev miscued a deep return to seal the result.
Cobolli advances to his second final of the season and will look to add to the title he won in Acapulco in February.
#Djokovic #play #Madrid #Open #due #injury">Djokovic may not play Madrid Open 2026 due to injury
Novak Djokovic is still working through the injury problems that forced him to miss recent events in Miami and Monte Carlo and says he may not be ready for next week’s Madrid Open, one of the last stops before the French Open Grand Slam.
The 38-year-old Serb lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final in February and fell to Jack Draper in the Indian Wells fourth round last month, before pulling out of the Miami Open due to a right shoulder injury.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion then skipped last week’s Monte Carlo Masters before arriving in Spain to begin preparations for the April 22-May 3 Madrid Open.
However, his participation at the event, which he has won three times, remains in doubt.
“I hope to compete here, I’m working towards that,” Djokovic told Spanish broadcaster Movistar+ at a EuroLeague basketball game in the Spanish capital on Thursday.
“I don’t (know), I’m not sure. I have been struggling physically a little bit with an injury, so I’m trying to address that and play as long as I can. Now I have a little bit more time, not playing as much, so I get a chance to enjoy other sports and great athleticism.”
The draw for the Madrid Open will be held on Monday.
Djokovic will be looking for a record 25th Grand Slam title when Roland Garros gets underway on May 24.
Published on Apr 17, 2026
#Djokovic #play #Madrid #Open #due #injury
Novak Djokovic is still working through the injury problems that forced him to miss recent…
Binaghi noted that the Madrid Open is introducing practice courts inside Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, so the San Siro could be an option: “For once, we wouldn’t be the first to do it.”
Italy previously hosted a WTA tournament on grass in Gaiba from 2022-24. The federation is also hosting the ATP Finals, currently in Turin, through 2030 and the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna through next year.
Meanwhile, the federation is preparing to host the Italian Open next month.
After Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo Masters final on Sunday, organisers are optimistic that he could become the first Italian man to claim the singles title at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.
“We’ve got to try and win the men’s singles. The time is right,” Binaghi said at the tournament presentation, noting that Italy has three other players ranked in the top 25: No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti, No. 16 Flavio Cobolli and No. 21 Luciano Darderi.
Alcaraz beat Sinner in last year’s Rome final in Sinner’s first tournament back from a three-month doping ban; while Jasmine Paolini earned Italy the titles in both women’s singles and doubles (with partner Sara Errani).
Work on a retractable roof for Campo Centrale is slated to start immediately after this year’s Italian Open and be ready for the 2028 edition.
Capacity for the revised stadium will increase from 10,500 to 12,400 for tennis; and more for other sports such as basketball.
Binaghi also said he still hopes to make the Italian Open a fifth Grand Slam to join the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open as the sport’s biggest tournaments.
Binaghi first raised the idea last year — which would upend a century of tennis history. His federation is interested in acquiring the license for the Madrid Open, which immediately precedes Rome in the tennis calendar. The idea is that by eliminating Madrid and making Rome bigger, it could constitute a fifth Slam.
“I think about it every day,” Binaghi said. “There’s only a brief window when we can achieve this. … Italy would benefit from it for 100 years. It’s our dream.”
Binaghi noted that the Madrid Open is introducing practice courts inside Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, so the San Siro could be an option: “For once, we wouldn’t be the first to do it.”
Italy previously hosted a WTA tournament on grass in Gaiba from 2022-24. The federation is also hosting the ATP Finals, currently in Turin, through 2030 and the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna through next year.
Meanwhile, the federation is preparing to host the Italian Open next month.
After Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo Masters final on Sunday, organisers are optimistic that he could become the first Italian man to claim the singles title at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.
“We’ve got to try and win the men’s singles. The time is right,” Binaghi said at the tournament presentation, noting that Italy has three other players ranked in the top 25: No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti, No. 16 Flavio Cobolli and No. 21 Luciano Darderi.
Alcaraz beat Sinner in last year’s Rome final in Sinner’s first tournament back from a three-month doping ban; while Jasmine Paolini earned Italy the titles in both women’s singles and doubles (with partner Sara Errani).
Work on a retractable roof for Campo Centrale is slated to start immediately after this year’s Italian Open and be ready for the 2028 edition.
Capacity for the revised stadium will increase from 10,500 to 12,400 for tennis; and more for other sports such as basketball.
Binaghi also said he still hopes to make the Italian Open a fifth Grand Slam to join the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open as the sport’s biggest tournaments.
Binaghi first raised the idea last year — which would upend a century of tennis history. His federation is interested in acquiring the license for the Madrid Open, which immediately precedes Rome in the tennis calendar. The idea is that by eliminating Madrid and making Rome bigger, it could constitute a fifth Slam.
“I think about it every day,” Binaghi said. “There’s only a brief window when we can achieve this. … Italy would benefit from it for 100 years. It’s our dream.”
Published on Apr 15, 2026
#Italy #host #grasscourt #ATP #event #prior #Wimbledon">Italy to host grasscourt ATP event prior to Wimbledon from 2028
The ATP Finals. The Davis Cup Finals. And now a Wimbledon tuneup on grass courts that could be played on the football pitch inside Milan’s San Siro stadium.
Led by top-ranked Jannik Sinner, the Italian tennis movement keeps on adding new events.
The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation has purchased the rights for a 250-level ATP Tour tournament in Brussels that is held in October, federation president Angelo Binaghi announced on Tuesday.
The event will be held each June starting in 2028.
“There’s still time to decide where to play it,” Binaghi said. “For climate reasons, it will probably be held in northern Italy.”
Un altro grande passo per il tennis italiano. 🌱🇮🇹
Dal 2028 il nostro Paese ospiterà per la prima volta un evento ATP su erba, ampliando l’offerta di grandi eventi internazionali e rafforzando la crescita del movimento. pic.twitter.com/tdWget6BoX
Binaghi noted that the Madrid Open is introducing practice courts inside Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, so the San Siro could be an option: “For once, we wouldn’t be the first to do it.”
Italy previously hosted a WTA tournament on grass in Gaiba from 2022-24. The federation is also hosting the ATP Finals, currently in Turin, through 2030 and the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna through next year.
Meanwhile, the federation is preparing to host the Italian Open next month.
After Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo Masters final on Sunday, organisers are optimistic that he could become the first Italian man to claim the singles title at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.
“We’ve got to try and win the men’s singles. The time is right,” Binaghi said at the tournament presentation, noting that Italy has three other players ranked in the top 25: No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti, No. 16 Flavio Cobolli and No. 21 Luciano Darderi.
Alcaraz beat Sinner in last year’s Rome final in Sinner’s first tournament back from a three-month doping ban; while Jasmine Paolini earned Italy the titles in both women’s singles and doubles (with partner Sara Errani).
Work on a retractable roof for Campo Centrale is slated to start immediately after this year’s Italian Open and be ready for the 2028 edition.
Capacity for the revised stadium will increase from 10,500 to 12,400 for tennis; and more for other sports such as basketball.
Binaghi also said he still hopes to make the Italian Open a fifth Grand Slam to join the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open as the sport’s biggest tournaments.
Binaghi first raised the idea last year — which would upend a century of tennis history. His federation is interested in acquiring the license for the Madrid Open, which immediately precedes Rome in the tennis calendar. The idea is that by eliminating Madrid and making Rome bigger, it could constitute a fifth Slam.
“I think about it every day,” Binaghi said. “There’s only a brief window when we can achieve this. … Italy would benefit from it for 100 years. It’s our dream.”
