INTERNATIONALI BNL D’ITALIA, THE AZZURRI AT THE START: NUMBERS AND CURIOSITIES
Sinner is participating in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the sixth time. At the Forum, in 2019, he achieved his first victory in a Masters 1000 against Steve Johnson, then number 59 in the world. His best result remains the quarter-finals of 2022 when he overcame the Spaniard Pedro Martinez, Fabio Fognini and the Serbian Filip Krajinovic, before surrendering to the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, number 5 in the world at the time.
Musetti participated four times in total at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, between qualifiers and main draw. In 2020 he surprised Stan Wawrinka by becoming the first player born in 2002 to win a match on the ATP circuit. In the main draw at the Forum he boasts a record of 5 wins and 3 losses, and has reached the round of 16 twice.
Arnaldi has participated in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia twice before this year, reaching the first round in 2022 and the second in 2023.
Sonego will participate for the ninth time overall in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The best result remains the memorable 2021 semi-final, the fifth for an Italian in the tournament in the Open era. Before him, Paolo Bertolucci had arrived in 1973, Adriano Panatta who won the title in 1976 and lost in the final in 1978, Tonino Zugarelli who was a finalist in 1977 and Filippo Volandri in 2007, after eliminating Roger Federer in the round of 16. Let us remember that before the Open era, five Italian victories were recorded: Emanuele Sertorio (1933), Giovanni Palmieri (1934), Fausto Gardini (1955), Nicola Pietrangeli (1957 and 1961). Pietrangeli played in two other finals (1958 and 1966) and three semi-finals (1959, 1965, 1967). Baron De Morpurgo, Gianni Cucelli from Rijeka and Oscar De Minerbi can also boast at least the semi-final as the best result in the tournament.
The Roman Cobolli, between qualifications and main draw, has already played the Internazionali BNL d’Italia four times but is still chasing his first victory in the main draw.
Darderi participated in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia only in 2020, losing in the first round of the qualifiers against the Portuguese Joao Sousa, then number 74 in the world.
Nardi played two matches at the Foro Italico in the main draw, losing both, against two former Top 10 players, the British Cameron Norrie in 2022 and the Belgian David Goffin in 2023
