Tennis in Italy explained

Tennis in Italy is governed by the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation and is the 6th sport, with 1,298,000 people, by number of practitioners.[1]

History

Five Italian players have won Grand Slam tournaments: Nicola Pietrangeli (1959 and 1960 French Championships), Adriano Panatta (1976 French Open), Francesca Schiavone (2010 French Open), Flavia Pennetta (2015 US Open) and Jannik Sinner (2024 Australian Open).

Four Italian players have won an olympic medal: Uberto De Morpurgo and Lorenzo Musetti won a bronze medal in the men's singles, respectively in 1924 and 2024, and the Sara Errani–Jasmine Paolini duo won a gold medal in the women's doubles, again in 2024.

The men's national team won the Davis Cup two times (1976 and 2023) and the women's national team won the Fed Cup four times (2006, 2009, 2010, and 2013).

Women's tennis in particular has seen tremendous successes in the 21st century, with the advent of Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci. All four of these women reached the top 10 of the WTA rankings in both singles and doubles (with Schiavone and Errani reaching the top 5 in singles and Pennetta, Errani and Vinci reaching No 1 in doubles), and reached Grand Slam finals in both disciplines. Schiavone and Pennetta won singles Grand Slam titles, while Pennetta, Errani and Vinci won doubles Grand Slam titles, with Errani and Vinci achieving the Career Grand Slam in doubles as a pair. They were also responsible for Italy's 4 Fed Cup victories as members of the national Fed Cup team.

Players best singles ranking

In this table only those who have reached the top 20 in the world singles ranking. Updated as of 13 July 2024. Data refer to the Open Era (from 1968).[2]

Men

style=background:lightsteelblue
  1. !
style=background:lightsteelbluePlayer !style=background:lightsteelblueRankstyle=background:lightsteelblueAchieved !style=background:lightsteelblueGrand Slam best!style=background:lightsteelblueATP titles
1align=left bgcolor=khaki1 10 June 2024Win – 2024 Australian Open15
24 24 August 197610
3align=left bgcolor=khaki6 31 January 2022F – 2021 Wimbledon10
47 21 August 19785
5align=left bgcolor=khaki9 15 July 20199
612 23 August 19736
7align=left bgcolor=khaki15 26 June 20232
8align=left bgcolor=khaki16 25 February 20193
918 28 January 20134R – 2012 French Open, 2013 Wimbledon,
Australian Open (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018) 		3
18 10 February 19923
18 27 February 19952
1219 15 April 19962

Women

style=background:pink
  1. !
style=background:pinkPlayer !style=background:pinkRank style=background:pinkAchieved !style=background:pinkGrand Slam best!style=background:pinkWTA titles
1align=left 4 31 January 20118
2align=left bgcolor=khaki5 20 May 20139
5 15 July 2024F – 2024 French Open, 2024 Wimbledon2
36 28 September 2015Win – 2015 US Open11
47 9 May 2016F – 2015 US Open10
611 20 May 2002QF – 2003 Wimbledon3
713 25 April 1988QF – 1987 French Open5
815 14 March 1988QF – 1985 French Open11
9align=left bgcolor=khaki18 8 May 2023SF – 2022 French Open1

Grand slam best singles results

Men

Eleven Italian tennis players played at least the semi-final in a Grand Slam tournament.[3]

Player Tournament Result
Semifinal
align=left rowspan=2Final
Semifinal
align=left rowspan=2Semifinal
Semifinal
align=left rowspan=5bgcolor=palegreenWin
bgcolor=palegreenWin
Final
Final
Semifinal
Semifinal
align=left rowspan=3Semifinal
Semifinal
bgcolor=palegreenWin
align=left rowspan=2Semifinal
Semifinal
Semifinal
align=left rowspan=3Semifinal
Final
Semifinal
align=left rowspan=3Semifinal
bgcolor=palegreenWin
Semifinal
Semifinal

Women

Nine Italian female tennis players have reached at least the semifinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament.[4] [5]

Player Tournament Result
align=left Semifinal
align=left Semifinal
align=left Semifinal
align=left rowspan=2 bgcolor=palegreen Win
Final
align=left rowspan=3 Final
Semifinal
Semifinal
align=left rowspan=2 Semifinal
bgcolor=palegreen Win
align=left rowspan=1 2015 US OpenFinal
align=left rowspan=1 Martina TrevisanSemifinal
align=left rowspan=2 Jasmine PaoliniFinal
Final

All tournament winners in Open Era

Male

As of 20 August 2024, 94 tournaments have been won by 28 Italian tennis players in the major circuit.

Titles Players
15bgcolor=lightblueJannik Sinner
10Adriano Panatta
bgcolor=lightblueMatteo Berrettini
9bgcolor=lightblueFabio Fognini
6
5
3Paolo Canè
bgcolor=lightblueMarco Cecchinato
Andrea Gaudenzi
Andreas Seppi
bgcolor=lightblueLorenzo Sonego
Titles Players
2Omar Camporese
Francesco Cancellotti
Renzo Furlan
bgcolor=lightblueLorenzo Musetti
Stefano Pescosolido
Davide Sanguinetti
Filippo Volandri
Titles Players
1Daniele Bracciali
Simone Colombo
bgcolor=lightblueLuciano Darderi
Paolo Lorenzi
Massimiliano Narducci
Gianni Ocleppo
Claudio Panatta
Claudio Pistolesi
Gianluca Pozzi
Tonino Zugarelli

Female

As of 30 July 2023, 78 tournaments have been won by 21 Italian tennis players in the major circuit.

Titles Players
11Sandra Cecchini
Flavia Pennetta
10
9bgcolor=pinkSara Errani
8Francesca Schiavone
5Raffaella Reggi
4Camila Giorgi
3Rita Grande
Silvia Farina Elia
2Karin Knapp
bgcolor=pinkJasmine Paolini
Titles Players
1bgcolor=pinkLucia Bronzetti
Federica Bonsignori
Alberta Brianti
bgcolor=pinkElisabetta Cocciaretto
Tathiana Garbin
Marzia Grossi
Katia Piccolini
Gloria Pizzichini
Mara Santangelo
bgcolor=pinkMartina Trevisan

Italian wins against the Current World's Number 1

Male

Nine Italian tennis players managed to beat the current number 1 in the world.

style=background:lightsteelblue
  1. !
style=background:lightsteelblueDate !style=background:lightsteelbluePlayer !style=background:lightsteelblueTournament !style=background:lightsteelblueTierstyle=background:lightsteelblueSurface !style=background:lightsteelblueCurrent World's N.1 !style=background:lightsteelblueScore
117 May 1974Munich, West Germany 250 series Clay 6–3, 6–7, 6–1
29 November 1975Stockholm, SwedenMasters 1000 Carpet 4–6, 6–3, 7–5
318 April 1977Adriano PanattaHouston, United States250 series Clay Jimmy Connors 6–1, 7–5
415 June 2000Queen's, Great Britain250 series Grass 4–6, 3–2 ret.
510 May 2007Rome, ItalyMasters 1000 Clay 6–3, 6–4
616 May 2017Rome, ItalyMasters 1000 Clay 6–2, 6–4
730 October 2020Vienna, Austria500 series Hard (i)6–2, 6–1
831 March 2023Miami, United StatesMasters 1000 Hard 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 6–2
913 April 2023Monte-Carlo, MonacoMasters 1000 Clay Novak Djokovic 4–6, 7–5, 6–4
1014 November 2023Jannik Sinner Turin, ItalyATP Finals Hard (i) Novak Djokovic 7–5, 6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–2)
1125 November 2023Jannik Sinner Malaga, SpainDavis Cup Hard (i) Novak Djokovic 6–2, 2–6, 7–5
1126 January 2024Jannik Sinner Melbourne, AustraliaGrand Slam Hard Novak Djokovic 6–1, 6–2, 6–7(6–8), 6–3
1211 March 2024Indian Wells, United StatesMasters 1000 Hard Novak Djokovic 6–4, 3–6, 6–3

Female

Four Italian tennis players managed to beat the current number 1 in the world.

style=background:lightsteelblue
  1. !
style=background:lightsteelblueDate !style=background:lightsteelbluePlayer !style=background:lightsteelblueTournament !style=background:lightsteelblueTierstyle=background:lightsteelblueSurface !style=background:lightsteelblueCurrent World's N.1 !style=background:lightsteelblueScore
126 May 2004Paris, France Grand Slam Clay 7–5, 6–4
223 April 2006Nancy, FranceBillie Jean King Cup Clay4–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–4
328 February 2008Francesca Schiavone Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTier II Series Hard Justine Henin 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–4)
416 October 2008Zurich, SwitzerlandTier II Series Hard (i) 5–7, 6–3, 6–3
510 August 2011Toronto, CanadaPremier 5 Hard6–4, 7–5
67 October 2011Flavia Pennetta Beijing, ChinaPremier Mandatory Hard (i) Caroline Wozniacki 3–6, 6–0, 7–6(7–2)
711 September 2015Roberta Vinci New York, United StatesGrand Slam Hard 2–6, 6–4, 6–4

All-Italian finals in Open Era

Male

There were seven all-Italian finals in Open Era in the ATP Tour.[6]

DateTournament VenueTierSurfaceWinnerRunner-upResult
1Florence Open FlorenceC eventsClayalign=left bgcolor=palegreenAdriano PanattaPaolo Bertolucci6–4, 6–1
2Swedish Open BåstadThree-star eventsClayalign=left bgcolor=palegreenTonino ZugarelliCorrado Barazzutti4–6, 7–5, 6–2
3Cairo Open CairoGrand PrixClayalign=left bgcolor=palegreenCorrado BarazzuttiPaolo Bertolucci4–6, 7–5, 6–2
4Hypo Group Tennis International BariGrand PrixClayalign=left bgcolor=palegreenClaudio PistolesiFrancesco Cancellotti6–7, 7–5, 6–3
5Florence Open FlorenceGrand PrixClayalign=left bgcolor=palegreenMassimiliano NarducciClaudio Panatta3–6. 6–1, 6–4
6Great Ocean Road Open Melbourne250 SeriesHard align=left bgcolor=palegreenJannik SinnerStefano Travaglia7–6(7–4), 6–4
7Tennis Napoli Cup Naples250 SeriesHard align=left bgcolor=palegreenLorenzo MusettiMatteo Berrettini7–6(7–5), 6–2

Female

DateTournament VenueTierSurfaceWinnerRunner-upResult
1Spanish Open BarcelonaWTA $50,000ClaySandra CecchiniRaffaella Reggi6–3, 6–4
2Estoril Open OeirasWTA Tier VClayFederica BonsignoriLaura Garrone2–6, 6–3, 6–3
3San Marino Open City of San MarinoWTA Tier VClayKatia PiccoliniSilvia Farina6–2, 6–3
4Morocco Open CasablancaWTA Tier VClayRita GrandeAntonella Serra Zanetti6–2, 4–6, 6–1
5Copa Colsanitas BogotáWTA Tier IIIClayRoberta VinciTathiana Garbin6–7(5–7), 6–4, 0–3 ret.
6Internazionali Femminili di Palermo PalermoWTA InternationalClayFlavia PennettaSara Errani6–1, 6–2
7Barcelona Ladies Open BarcelonaWTA InternationalClayFrancesca SchiavoneRoberta Vinci6–1, 6–1
8Abierto Mexicano Telcel AcapulcoWTA InternationalClaySara ErraniFlavia Pennetta5–7, 7–6(7–2), 6–0
9Internazionali Femminili di Palermo PalermoWTA InternationalClayRoberta VinciSara Errani6–3, 3–6, 6–3
10Nürnberger Cup NürnbergWTA InternationalClayKarin KnappRoberta Vinci7–6(7–5), 4–6, 6–1
11US Open New York CityGrand SlamHardFlavia PennettaRoberta Vinci7-6, 6-2

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Graduatoria degli sport più praticati in Italia. coni.it. italian. 10 June 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120524230300/http://www.coni.it/fileadmin/user_upload/_temp_/mondo_sportivo/osservatori/documenti/M5-Lista_primi_25_Sport_in_word_12-05-04.pdf. 24 May 2012.
  2. Web site: QUANTI ITALIANI SONO ENTRATI NEI TOP 50? RISPONDE L'ESPERTO. it. supertennis.tv. 18 March 2018.
  3. Web site: Marco Cecchinato è l'ottavo giocatore nella storia del tennis italiano ad approdare in una semifinale Slam. it. superlivetennis.it. 6 June 2018.
  4. Web site: I migliori risultati delle azzurre nei tornei dello Slam . it . federtennis.it . 6 June 2018.
  5. Web site: VINCI-PENNETTA Tutti i numeri di un'impresa . it . federtennis.it . 6 June 2018.
  6. Web site: ATP: SINNER-TRAVAGLIA, SETTIMO DERBY AZZURRO IN FINALE. I PRECEDENTI. federtennis.it. it. 6 February 2021. 7 February 2021.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tennis in Italy".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.