Italian tennis federation overtakes football in revenues

According to financial analysis published by Il Sole 24 Ore, the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation recorded total revenues exceeding €230 million in 2025, while the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio generated just over €200 million. The gap had already narrowed significantly in 2024, when tennis reached €209 million against football’s €224 million, signaling a structural rather than episodic shift.

The 2025 results crown a transformation that began years before the current wave of Italian tennis success and cannot be attributed solely to on-court results, however spectacular.

On-court dominance fuels commercial engine

Italy’s 2025 tennis achievements provided undeniable momentum. The national teams won both the Davis Cup (for a third consecutive year, a feat unmatched since 1971, and the first time on home soil) and the Billie Jean King Cup. Jannik Sinner won two Grand Slam titles – the Australian Open and Wimbledon, becoming the first Italian man to win singles at the Championships – and defended his Nitto ATP Finals title in Turin. Jasmine Paolini won the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in singles and doubles (with Sara Errani) and captured the Roland Garros doubles title with Errani. Italy set a record for representation at both the men’s and women’s year-end finals.

These results amplified commercial returns, but the strategic foundation was laid years earlier when competitive results were far less consistent.

Events as industrial strategy, not sporting accidents

The cornerstone of the FITP’s transformation has been its repositioning of major international events as core revenue drivers rather than prestige projects. This approach required significant governance evolution, adopting corporate management practices and treating event hosting as an industrial operation.

The Internazionali d’Italia exemplifies this shift. Once a struggling tournament in the early 2000s, it has become a cornerstone of the ATP and WTA calendars. The 2025 edition generated an estimated total economic impact of €900 million – comprising €410 million in direct impact, €332 million in indirect impact and €153 million in induced effects – with ticket revenues exceeding €35 million. Expansion of the Foro Italico venue underpinned this growth.

The Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, secured by the federation in 2021, delivered similar results. The 2025 edition attracted 229,879 spectators, 18.1 percent of whom traveled from abroad, and generated an estimated economic impact exceeding €590 million with nearly €100 million in tax revenues. Over 70 percent of the FITP’s total revenues now derives from hosting international competitions on Italian soil.

The FITP’s approach effectively turned Italy into a preferred destination for premium tennis events, creating recurring revenue streams with substantial multiplier effects.

A model that redefines federation economics

Structural efficiency has been equally critical. The FITP maintains relatively low operational costs while reinvesting over 80 percent of generated revenues into grassroots development, technical training, competition organization and direct support for affiliated clubs. This virtuous cycle has expanded the sport’s base to an estimated 6.2 million participants.

While Italian football retains greater popularity but struggles with economic challenges, the tennis federation now exemplifies modern sports governance – where competitive success, event economics and structural investment form a self-reinforcing system generating sustained financial growth.