Italian tennis has formally overtaken football in federation revenue, generating more than 240 million euros in production value during the 2025 fiscal year compared to the Italian Football Federation’s 214 million euros, according to financial data reported by ilsole24ore.com.
Federation Revenue Outpaces Football
The financial crossover arrived after years of steady gains. In 2024, the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP) nearly matched national football revenues, pulling in 209 million euros against the Italian Football Federation’s (FIGC) 224 million euros, ilsole24ore.com reported. By 2025, the tennis federation’s production value topped 240 million euros, while football dipped to 214 million euros due in part to the absence of a major international men’s football tournament. Current financial projections for 2026 estimate FITP revenues will exceed 280 million euros, a threshold never reached by any domestic sports federation in Italy.
Rather than sitting on a cash surplus, the federation channeled the influx directly back into the sport. Financial records for 2025 show that operational costs to support athletic activity surpassed 200 million euros, while administrative overhead and structural expenses were kept to just 16 million euros, according to ilsole24ore.com. More than 70 percent of total revenue stems directly from the organization of international events, creating a self-sustaining funding loop that subsidizes regional clubs, youth circuits, coaching courses, and territorial promotions.
Grassroots Expansion Across the Country
The economic boom mirrors a massive expansion across every level of the domestic tennis and padel infrastructure. Affiliated clubs across Italy have surpassed 4,000, while combined tennis and padel schools now exceed 2,500 institutions, ilsole24ore.com reported. Certified coaches have climbed to 14,000, and active match officials have reached 10,000.
While global superstars such as Jannik Sinner—who captured Australian Open and Wimbledon titles in 2025—alongside Roland Garros champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini have galvanized public interest, federation leadership insists the infrastructure preceded the trophies. Angelo Binaghi, who has led the federation since 2001 when it counted 130,000 members, engineered a strategy focused on converting marquee international tournaments into primary revenue engines.
Major Tournaments Drive Economic Impact
The transformation centers on turning once-struggling properties into financial powerhouses. The Internazionali d’Italia in Rome, viewed as a declining tournament at the turn of the century, now ranks among the sport’s premier global events with ambitions of achieving “Fifth Slam” status. Rome was subsequently joined by the ATP Finals in Torino and the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna, forming an event circuit that generates roughly 1.6 billion euros in total economic impact for the country, according to ilsole24ore.com data.
The calendar continues to expand with developmental showcases. Reggio Calabria is scheduled to host the Next Gen ATP Finals from December 9 to 13, featuring the top eight men’s under-20 singles players of the season.
In 2024, the Fitp had already closed the gap on the Figc by recording 209 million euros in revenue against football’s 224 million euros.
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