Jannik Sinner’s triumph at the Australian Open in Melbourne has literally ignited tennis mania in Italy. The 22-year-old phenomenal champion that italian tennis has been waiting for since the Seventies. In the province of Vicenza, in 2019, there were 5,987 members enrolled in tennis clubs, and by 2023, the number has risen to 11,579. This boom has been ongoing for the past twenty years.
The second sport
Tennis is now the second sport in Italy not just in terms of numbers, as had already been emphasized by Gianni Milan, a native of Vicenza and the vice president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation. "I experienced the emotions of Panatta winning in Paris. I was 18 years old then, and I didn't fully understand how important that result was. Sinner's victory, on the other hand, experienced as a Fit executive, has a much stronger meaning, in addition to the emotion."
After soccer
A few years ago, Milan had already pointed out how tennis was, in importance, the second sport in Italy. "The enormous resonance that this event had in all newspapers and on television testifies to what tennis is now – the second most popular sport in Italy after soccer," emphasizes the Vicenza executive. "Sinner's victory has once again confirmed that ours is a popular sport even in terms of media coverage. It will certainly boost the movement. This growth, which has been ongoing for many years, will increase, thanks also to the policies and investments of the Federation. We have reached 100,000 members, and we will continue to grow, but the most important thing will be to make the best use of this new wave of popularity. If clubs, executives, and coaches make professionalism and services the right mix to meet the needs of practitioners, we can continue to grow“.
The Seventies
This hasn’t been the case in the past, as Milan explains. “In the 1970s, after Panatta's victory in Paris and the Davis Cup, the moment was not well exploited because many new courts were built without a serious investment plan. As a result, in the 1990s, our sport had to face a very serious crisis. Those in the industry must make the most of the growing demand not just by building new courts but by improving facilities and providing covers for the courts. Because behind a tennis court, there is not only the player, but a whole concept around which to provide a 360-degree service." Have we finally found the champion we dreamed of? "Sinner is an extraordinary young man. The most important and complete athlete that Italy could have. When will you see him back in Italy? "We will all be at the Quirinale on Thursday, received by President Mattarella. For the victory in the Davis Cup and now for this other great result in Australia."