For the first time, the number of registered tennis players in Italy has surpassed soccer, according to figures published by RMC. The historic shift occurred in 2024, driven by a surge in racquet sports participation and consecutive World Cup absences for the national soccer team.
Italian Tennis Registrations Eclipse Soccer Numbers
Data from local sports media reveals that the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation reached 1,162,477 registered members in 2024, accounting for 20.2 percent of all sports federation registrations in the country. By comparison, the Italian Football Federation recorded 1,123,054 registered athletes, representing 19.5 percent of the national total. For more than a century, soccer stood unchallenged as the primary pillar of Italy’s organized sports structure. The milestone marks the first time a racquet sport has claimed the top position in national registrations.
National Soccer Team Struggles Contrast With Domestic League Health
The decline in soccer participation coincides with a difficult period for the national team, which missed qualification for the last three consecutive World Cups. As a four-time World Cup champion team with titles in 1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006, the squad’s prolonged absence from the tournament has dampened domestic enthusiasm. The team’s recent success came in 2021 under Roberto Mancini, who led the squad to the European Championship title. Following subsequent changes, the Italian Football Federation turned back to Mancini to lead another rebuilding effort.
Despite the national team’s struggles, the domestic Serie A league maintains a strong competitive standing, ranking second in the UEFA coefficient. Although Italian clubs did not reach the UEFA Champions League round of 16 in the previous campaign, Inter Milan reached the tournament final in both 2023 and 2025. In the 2022-23 season, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Napoli all advanced to the quarterfinals.
Sinner and Domestic Tournament Expansion Fuel Racquet Sports Boom
The growth of Italian tennis is spearheaded by 25-year-old world number one Jannik Sinner, who has captured five Grand Slam titles and elevated the sport’s global profile. Italy’s depth in the ATP rankings further bolsters the sport’s domestic popularity, with players such as Flavio Cobolli ranked fifth, Luciano Darderi at 21st, Lorenzo Musetti at 25th, Matteo Arnaldi at 36th, and Matteo Berrettini at 45th.
The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation has channeled substantial investments into infrastructure, constructing new courts, opening schools, and expanding coaching staffs. Mid-tier tournaments have experienced the most significant expansion. Twenty-five years ago, Italy hosted only eight men’s Challenger events and 16 men’s Futures tournaments. The current national calendar features approximately 90 international events spanning both men’s and women’s tours, including the Rome Masters, the Rome WTA 1000, and the ATP Finals in Turin.
Financial Shifts Highlight Two Distinct Trajectories
Financial metrics mirror the shifting balance between the two sports. In 2025, the revenue of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation surpassed that of the national soccer body, exceeding 240 million euros compared to the Italian Football Federation’s 214 million euros, a figure impacted by a lack of major international tournaments. Projections for 2026 indicate that the tennis federation’s revenue will exceed 280 million euros, a level not previously reached by any federation.
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