The growth of Italian sport cannot be measured solely by the achievements of its champions. Turning individual success into a sustainable winning model requires long-term planning, investment, and continuous efforts to develop the sport at grassroots level.
This has been the guiding principle behind the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation’s (FITP) journey over the past 25 years, as explained by its president, Angelo Binaghi, during the session From Talent to a System at SFS 2026, in conversation with RAI journalist Emilio Mancuso.
The discussion also provided an opportunity to reflect on the differences between the Italian tennis and football systems, drawing on the experience of a federation that, when Binaghi first took office, was going through one of the most difficult periods in its history.
“We were ugly, dirty and mean. We had no sporting results, no money, and we lacked even the ethical and moral principles that should be passed on to young people and to our sporting community,” the president recalled. This was the starting point for a long-term rebuilding process.
Looking back at Italian tennis’s achievements, Mancuso highlighted the results recorded in 2026, from Flavio Cobolli’s victory in Acapulco to Luciano Darderi’s title in Santiago, Chile, alongside Jannik Sinner’s remarkable season. It was a season of two distinct halves: exceptional results during the first seven months, followed by a period disrupted by injuries.
Binaghi stressed how the performance of a leading figure can influence the entire sporting movement. “For better or worse, the leader always carries everyone else along with him.” Despite the physical setbacks suffered by some of the sport’s leading players, the president expressed his satisfaction with the level reached by Italian tennis.
Among the most significant achievements, he highlighted the French Open at Roland-Garros, where three Italian players reached the latter stages of the tournament, with two making the semi-finals and one reaching the final.
According to Binaghi, without the injuries, Italy could have had an even stronger presence at the ATP Finals in Turin, potentially qualifying three players. Alongside Sinner, the president highlighted the progress made by Cobolli and Lorenzo Musetti, who came close to reaching third place in the world rankings.
“Musetti has shown, both last year and this year when he has been free from injury, that he fully deserves to be among the top eight players in the world.” However, the central point of Binaghi’s argument goes beyond individual results. In his view, international success must be the outcome of a process that starts at the grassroots level, rather than its starting point. This approach requires continuous monitoring of indicators relating to the development of the sport and participation rates.
“We have achieved these results without ever focusing or dreaming exclusively about elite-level sport, but by concentrating solely on grassroots development,” he explained. With the ATP Finals approaching, Sinner’s absence inevitably represents one of the defining features of this year’s edition in Turin.
Nevertheless, Binaghi expressed considerable optimism about attendance, with advance ticket sales already exceeding those recorded at the same point the previous year and a sell-out firmly within reach.
One figure, however, caught his attention: the extent to which Italian audiences depend on the success of the South Tyrolean champion. “It is becoming clear that Italians are much more dependent on Sinner than I had expected,” he observed. According to the president, Jannik’s results currently carry considerably more weight than those of other Italian players, partly thanks to his ability to build a positive and distinctive public image.
Binaghi described Sinner as an understated personality who conveys values and principles that are particularly important for younger generations. Unlike some of the other great champions in Italian sporting history, he represents a different kind of role model, and one whose influence could prove especially significant.
The president also recalled recognising the player’s potential at a very early stage. It happened when his son, who was competing in international tournaments, found himself playing doubles alongside a young player from South Tyrol who was just 15 or 16 years old. It was then that Binaghi first heard about Jannik Sinner and his extraordinary potential, recognising him as a talent well beyond the ordinary. Looking ahead, the president stressed the importance of assessing the champion’s decisions from a long-term perspective.
Any potential absence from individual tournaments, he explained, should be considered in the context of a sporting career that could still last another ten to fifteen years, rather than being judged solely on the results of a single season. The comparison with football also returned to the question of participation in the two sports. Binaghi recalled that when he began his tenure at the federation, tennis was nowhere near its current level of popularity.
According to the figures cited during the discussion, approximately 6.5 million people currently play football in Italy, compared with 6.2 million involved in tennis and padel. The president emphasised that the growth of tennis is the result of a system built on solid foundations, one that has continued to develop consistently for more than twenty years. Another topic addressed was the future of the ATP Finals, which will remain in Turin for at least next year’s edition. Binaghi acknowledged the city’s role in the tournament’s growth, particularly highlighting the vision of the local institutions that believed in the project from the outset.
Cooperation between the federation, businesses, media, spectators and the local community has helped establish Turin as an ideal host city for an event of this scale. The FITP is also looking towards other ambitious projects.
One of its main objectives is to establish a new national centre for tennis and padel in Milan, with facilities dedicated to both men’s and women’s programmes. The federation is currently seeking suitable land to develop the project and strengthen its presence in Italy’s leading industrial and economic hub.
Milan could also become the home of a new international event: an ATP 250 grass-court tournament, acquired by the federation and scheduled for June 2028. It would be the first grass-court tournament in Italian tennis history. The aim is to establish a permanent and long-lasting presence for top-level tennis in the city, although Veneto has not been ruled out as an initial host location. Another project Binaghi continues to pursue is the creation of what has been described as a potential fifth Grand Slam.
This ambition reflects the desire to challenge an international structure that, for more than 120 years, has revolved around the same four major tournaments. However, he acknowledged the difficulties involved in changing such an established system and overcoming the considerable resistance that any reform would inevitably encounter.
The conversation concluded with a look ahead to the Davis Cup, with hopes of securing a fourth consecutive title, and the Next Gen ATP Finals, scheduled to take place in Reggio Calabria. Both events reflect the ambitions of a federation determined to continue building on its success.
Binaghi’s account demonstrates how sporting achievements can become the driving force behind broader development only when supported by a long-term strategic vision. Individual talent can generate enthusiasm, but it is the system built around those athletes that ultimately determines whether success can be sustained.