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On the occasion of the 2025 Internazionali d’Italia – the 82nd edition of the prestigious clay court tennis tournament held at the Foro Italico in Rome until May 18 – tennis enters, for the first time, the historic Stadio dei Marmi, named after Pietro Mennea and traditionally dedicated to track and field athletics. Inside the Mennea stadium now stands the SuperTennis Arena, which can host over 3,000 spectators, flanked by two additional courts each equipped with stands for 800 seats.
The SuperTennis Arena, Centre Court, Grand Stand Arena, and Stadio Nicola Pietrangeli are now the four main courts of the competition, which features a total of nine match courts, plus twelve more dedicated to players’ training sessions.
An old Latin expression once said, Roma caput mundi. Originally used to describe the greatness of the Roman Empire, today we can borrow it to describe Rome’s current moment of global centrality. In the “capital” of the world, there is great excitement for the beginning of the Conclave that will elect the new Pope.
Amid this atmosphere of anticipation, major sporting events will also play a key role. While not comparable in importance to the religious event, they will still draw large crowds and major media attention. During this same period, Rome will host the Coppa Italia final between Milan and Bologna, scheduled for May 14 at the Olympic Stadium. Just a few meters away, the Internazionali d’Italia tennis tournament is already in full swing at the Foro Italico.
Pre-qualifying rounds for the main draw—both men’s and women’s—kicked off on April 29, while the main tournament began on May 5, featuring singles and doubles brackets. Over 300 players, men and women, are competing for the crown of Rome.
The Internazionali BNL d’Italia is one of the most prestigious trophies on the annual ATP and WTA calendars, and a key event in the Masters 1000 series (referring to the ranking points awarded to the winner). All the top-ranked athletes aim to participate, barring injury or physical issues—as seen this year with former world number one Novak Djokovic, who withdrew from the tournament.
The 2025 edition promises to be a milestone for Italian tennis. The headline story is the return of Jannik Sinner, Italy’s number one, who makes his comeback on Rome’s clay courts after serving a suspension for a doping case earlier in February. Italy, in fact, boasts two players in the ATP Top 10: Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, who thrives on clay and recently reached back-to-back semifinals in Monte Carlo and Madrid.
The roster assembled by federal president Angelo Binaghi is rich in talent: from Sinner and Musetti to the Romans Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli, plus Matteo Arnaldi, Luciano Darderi, Lorenzo Sonego, and the promising Federico Cinà (born in 2007), as well as doubles specialists Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. Let’s not forget the WTA athletes, led by Italian top seed Jasmine Paolini, followed by Lucia Bronzetti, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, and Sara Errani, who is playing doubles alongside Paolini.
Competition is fierce, and the challenges numerous, in both the men’s and women’s draws. Top contenders? On the men’s side, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Germany’s Alexander Zverev; on the women’s side, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
From an infrastructure standpoint, this year brings a wealth of structural innovations that enhance the tournament experience. Brand-new tennis courts have been installed in the iconic Stadio dei Marmi “Pietro Mennea”, a globally unique venue encircled by 60 statues and white Carrara marble bleachers. Designed in 1928 by Enrico Del Debbio, the stadium was inaugurated in 1932.
The new layout includes a stadium—the third most important at the Foro Italico—called the SuperTennis Arena, with 3,000 seats, and two additional courts with stands for 800 spectators each. The Grand Stand Arena and Centre Court remain key fixtures. The Grand Stand Arena is connected to the Stadio dei Marmi via the historic Fontana delle Sfere and Viale dell’Impero. From here, spectators can access a fully renovated Fan Village equipped with modern spaces and facilities.
The pool area, once again reserved for players and their teams, will be linked to Centre Court via the striking suspended footbridge. Thanks to major upgrades at the Foro Italico site, the tournament’s available space has doubled from 10 to 20 hectares. Seating capacity has also grown from 36,000 to 55,000, a 30% increase. In total, the site now includes 21 tennis courts—four more than in 2024—comprising 9 for matches and 12 for training.
After days of exhibitions and technical showcases in Piazza del Popolo, the spotlight now turns to the sport’s biggest names. It’s up to them to deliver thrilling matches and unforgettable moments for the fans.
Cover Image: Stadio Olimpico and Stadio dei Marmi in Rome. Photo by Messapi / Wikimedia Commons, License CC Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
