The President of the Italian Tennis Federation has reiterated his calls for Italy to host a fifth Grand Slam, a move that would change the foundation of the sport.
Angelo Binaghi has held the role since 2001 and is the longest serving president of the federation.
Over his tenure, Italian tennis has undergone many changes, with a resurgence over the last decade in the form of Matteo Berrettini, Jasmine Paolini, Lorenzo Musetti, and, most impressively, Jannik Sinner.
“In Rome, all my life. Look at Next Gen: in Milan the arena was always full; in Jeddah there wasn’t a single person in the stands,” Binaghi told Corriere.
“A Grand Slam in Italy will be possible when the government invests in tennis’s potential. Economy Minister Giorgetti told me that at global financial meetings, before even greeting him, they congratulate him on Sinner and tennis.
“If, in addition to spending five billion on the Olympics, a huge and wonderful event that lasts only a few weeks, we tried to spend a tenth of that on something that would generate wealth for the next 100 years, then we could also bring a Grand Slam to Italy.
“Just look at the economic impact of the International Tennis Championships on the region: last year it was €895 million, this year it should reach €1 billion.
“The ratio between a Masters 1000 and a Grand Slam is one to four: we’re talking about a potential economic impact of around €4 billion, with additional tax revenues of around €600 million.
“The Internationals currently generate €148 million, without public funding.”
At the 2025 edition of the Italian Open, Binaghi labelled the current system of the four Grand Slams ‘a monopoly’ and called for major change.
“In what other part of society is there a monopoly that lasts for more than 100 years?,” he stated.
“Why are there always four [Grand Slams] and always the same four? It’s absolutely unfair and doesn’t help tennis grow.”
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Whilst Italy would be a lead contender for such an event, Saudi Arabia has also been named as a possible location.
In October, it was revealed that the country had struck a deal to host a historic 10th Masters 1000 as early as 2028.
It joins Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris in hosting the premier-level category.
The country has hosted the ATP Next Gen Finals since 2023 – in Jeddah – and the WTA Finals since 2014 – in Riyadh.
In addition, Saudi Arabia has also held the Six Kings Slam exhibition in both 2024 and 2025, with a record-breaking $6 million collected by the victor in each edition.
After his recent South Korean exhibition against Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner was asked about his thoughts of a Saudi Arabian Grand Slam.
“I don’t know. I don’t know how big it can be, although it’s already made history for other reasons,” he responded.
“For myself, I’m looking forward to coming back because it’s great to be here, playing in different circumstances with different people.
“I think this country is going to be very important for us in the future, that’s for sure. It’s essential to make tennis as big a sport as possible, and for that we need teamwork, behind the scenes.”