Italian Tennis Federation president Angelo Binaghi is once again pushing to stage a fifth Grand Slam tournament in his home country. Italy has become a powerhouse in tennis – the nation already plays host to the ATP Finals, Davis Cup Finals, a joint ATP and WTA 1000 event in Rome, and other smaller tournaments.

Jannik Sinner has reached No. 1 in the world and won four Majors, while WTA No. 8 Jasmine Paolini is a two-time Grand Slam finalist. There are eight Italian men in the ATP top 100, and the Italians also have a strong presence on the doubles circuit thanks to Paolini, Sara Errani, Andrea Vavassori, and Simone Bolelli.

And Binaghi now wants the country to continue investing in tennis, with hopes of staging a fifth Grand Slam tournament in Rome, the current home of the Italian Open, in the future.

“A Grand Slam in Italy will be possible when the government invests in tennis’s potential. Economy Minister Giorgetti told me that at global financial meetings, before even greeting him, they congratulate him on Sinner and tennis,” the Italian tennis boss told Corriere.

The tennis tours have also formed strong partnerships with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The PIF has a partnership with both the ATP and WTA and previously staged the ATP Next Gen Finals for players aged 20-and-under.

Riyadh plays host to the WTA Finals, and the ATP has announced that it will hold a one-week Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia from 2028.

But Binaghi believes a fifth Grand Slam tournament should be staged in Italy instead of the Middle East, citing the crowd attendance in Saudi Arabia. He added: “In Rome, all my life. Look at Next Gen: in Milan the arena was always full; in Jeddah there wasn’t a single person in the stands.”

It’s not the first time the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation has shared his wish to stage a fifth Major in Rome. Speaking during last year’s Italian Open, he said: “”In what other part of society is there a monopoly that lasts for more than 100 years?

“Why are there always four [Grand Slams] and always the same four? … It’s absolutely unfair and doesn’t help tennis grow.”

The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation was also said to have launched a bid to buy the licence for the Madrid Open last year, which could have allowed them to extend the length of the Italian Open beyond two weeks.