The Italian surge at the French Open. Exploring the reasons behind it. The Italian surge at the French Open. Exploring the reasons behind it.
The 2026 French Open.
Before we knew it, many Italian players remained in the latter half of the draw.
In the men's singles,
these three players reached the quarterfinals.
This was an unprecedented achievement in Grand Slam history.
And we must not forget.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
Lorenzo Musetti, who reached the French Open semifinals last year.
They are also Italian.
Italy is no longer just a country with strong players.
It has become a country where strong players emerge one after another.
Introduction of quarterfinalists
Flavio Cobolli
From Rome.
A former soccer player with outstanding physical ability.
Their greatest weapon is their attacking power.
They take control with their forehand, move forward, and finish the point.
Unlike many recent Italian players, this is a highly aggressive type.
Matteo Arnaldi
A player who symbolizes the current Italian development system.
Rather than having one special weapon,
・Footwork
・Defensive ability
・Tactical versatility
are all extremely high.
He can be called a typical product of clay court training.
His style of absorbing an opponent's attack while waiting for a chance to win is truly that of a modern clay-courter.
Matteo Berrettini
The figure who made Italian tennis known to the world.
His serve and forehand are world-class.
Despite struggling with injuries, he has returned to the top tier of Grand Slams.
He is also a contributor who showed the younger generation the path that
“Even an Italian can become a world leader.”
He paved the way for them.
Reason for Italy's breakthrough ① Clay court culture
When discussing Italian development, one cannot avoid mentioning clay courts.
In Japan, the focus is on hard courts.
In Italy, the focus is on clay courts.
On clay, the ball bounces high, and
• long rallies
• tactics
• physical stamina
• footwork
become necessary.
As a result, the overall ability of the players is developed.
Reason for Italy's breakthrough ②: Many domestic tournaments
Italy hosts a very large number of ATP Challenger and ITF tournaments.
Young players can improve their rankings without the cost of traveling abroad.
In the case of Japan,
the better you get, the more essential overseas travel becomes.
There is a significant difference here.
Reason for Italy's breakthrough ③: Investment by the Tennis Federation
The Italian Tennis Federation has continued to make long-term investments.
Training bases.
Coach education.
Tournament hosting.
Junior support.
That accumulation has led to the current results.
Differences from Japan
In Japan, there is a large reliance on individual effort.
Kei Nishikori and Naomi Osaka also grew by basing themselves overseas.
On the other hand, Italy has a system in place to develop players to a world-class level domestically.
In other words,
Japan is a 'success of the individual'.
Italy is a 'success of the system'.
There is a major difference here.
Sinner proved it with results
And finally, Jannik Sinner.
World number one.
Grand Slam champion.
Davis Cup winner.
What he proved is not just victory.
'You can become the world number one from Italy'
was the fact.
The current juniors are growing up watching his back.
The Italian whirlwind is no coincidence.
It is the crystallization of a development system built over more than 20 years.