Italian Dominance in Tennis Scene.

Flavio Cobolli, an Italian tennis player, had the talent to become a famous footballer growing up in the youth ranks of AS Roma. However, he chose tennis, a rapidly growing sport in Italy. “Tennis will never replace football in Italy, but it is definitely growing fast. I see more kids picking up a racquet and more fans following the sport. It’s great for Italian tennis,” Cobolli said.

Now 23, Cobolli reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last month and has broken into the world’s top 20 ranking. He is among a growing list of Italian players in the top 100 in men and women’s tours.

In fact, the men’s ATP circuit has nine Italians in the top 100, making Italy the country with the most players in this category outside of Grand Slam host nations. Italy also boasts three players in the top 100 of the women’s circuit. Italian players Jannik Sinner and Jasmine Paolini recently reached the men’s and women’s singles final at the Cincinnati Open, respectively.

Also significant is Italy’s success in team events, with the country emerging as the reigning champion at both the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup. Cobolli believes that the increasing number of successful players increases expectations from fans and players alike.

Cobolli credits his progress to the experience and confidence he had gained by playing at home in ATP Challenger tournaments without the need to travel far. The Italian Padel and Tennis Federation has also launched SuperTennis, a television channel, that broadcasts live matches of almost all tournaments held in Italy along with several major competitions abroad.

The federation has made some monumental changes in developing players. For instance, it reallocated funds to support the clubs where players train. The federation also made significant improvements in terms of coaching.

“We have great coaches across the country because we’ve worked a lot on the instructions for the coaches to give. Also, we don’t just work in the city centers, we try to work in all parts of Italy, that wasn’t always considered. Now we try to help small children from everywhere.” said BJK Cup captain Tathiana Garbin.

Cobolli thinks the friendly competition among Italian tennis players has helped raise the overall level of play. Despite the rising stature of tennis in Italy, the players largely support each other and share their personal growth journeys.

Italian tennis popularity continues to grow. Cobolli admits that while football was his first love, tennis won him over with its individual challenges and responsibility. Despite his success in tennis, Cobolli remains an avid AS Roma supporter and even sports a tattoo of a quote by former team captain Daniele de Rossi. Indeed, Forza Italia.