A television channel
Since he was at the head of the Italian Federation in 2001, Angelo Binaghi has not only assaulted the accounts of the body, but he has set up a new structure with a decentralized model. The national technical center, near Pisa, still exists, but the best players are not present all the season. They only go there to follow internships. The rest of the time, they continue their training in academies or regional centers. And each player receives an individual project with a coach who often follows him for many years. A bit like Riccardo Piatti with Jannik Sinner. But for Angelo Binaghi, training alone does not explain the success of tennis in Italy.
“We have set up, it is true, a decentralized system, by regionalizing the training centers but I do not believe that this is the reason. This is even the least important reason. The most important is our Supertennis TV channel (Editor’s note: created in 2008). Twenty years ago, tennis had disappeared from the screens. If a sport is no longer seen on television, it is no longer practiced by children, it is intended to die. Now, 900,000 viewers per day in Italy see tennis all year round. If tennis is more popular, there are more clubs, more tennis schools, more practitioners, more sponsors, more tickets sold for major events. “
The decline of football with a Squadra Azzurra absent from the world Cup in 2018 and 2022 and a Serie unless powerful than in the past also deprived Italians of lively emotions and helped tennis to develop.
Multiplication of events
If Italian tennis is doing well, it is also thanks to the multiplication of events on its territory. Throughout the year, players can register or receive invitations on the many challengers and future calendar. Not only do Italians receive opportunities to get ATP points more easily, but they don’t have to travel around the world. This allows them to save significant costs. Present on the new Monza Challenger 100 in April with Raphaël Collignon, Ananda Vandendooren, coach at the French -speaking federation, noted the emulation around the little yellow ball: “Throughout the week, Italian coaches talk to each other, exchange, ask for opinions. They do not lock themselves in a bubble with their player. In Italy, there are players at all levels, at all levels, there are groups each time inside which the emulation is present. It was a first edition in Monza, it was super well organized. Italy for that is really a country at the top. There are always quality events with a very correct audience that pushes and encourages its Italian players. “
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Finally, the Italian Federation decided via its “Progetto over” project to specifically help its players when they try the difficult passage between the juniors and the pro circuit. The leaders having noticed that many talents were lost during this phase. The concrete measures put in place revolving around financial support, access to professional supervision, training in high -level centers and an emulation pushed to its maximum.
