Tennis, the 2023 Internationals with many new features: more competition days and a bridge for the players

ROME – Venghino, ladies and gentlemen. The big show of the Internazionali Bnl d’Italia is ready. Rich prizes (for tennis players) and cotillions (for the public, even in the city). The great world racket circus is about to arrive in Rome. One more month of patience, and then Djokovic and Sinner, Nadal and Alcaraz together with Medvedev and Tsitsipas will amaze us with their magical winners.

However, the 80th edition has a few surprises in store. First the duration. “Eight to twelve days” says the owner of the facility, Vito Cozzoli. Thanks to the ATP upgrade, which led Rome to be one of the Masters 1000 Tops. Almost like a Grand Slam.

And the organizer tenant, Angelo Binaghi, is already rattling off figures that will have to be revised upwards. “We created a volume of 285 million euros last year. But for this 2023 the presale is rosy. Today we have 11 million in cash”. What does this mean? “An economic impact of 400 million euros, dear councilor” jokes (but not so much) Binaghi with the city councilor Alessandro Onorato.

Finished? Not at all: “This is Women’s Day, and not just because Elena Goitini, managing director of Bnl, is here next to me, that is, she is the partner with whom we have just renewed for at least another six years, which we are very happy, but also because we are on our way – in three years – to equal prize money, for men and women. We are not talking about motes, but 8 million euros. A great achievement, to which my vice president, Chiara Appendino, also contributed. And, I repeat, the BNL which has renewed its trust in us. “An agreement is like a marriage, isn’t it? There are convergences, complicity” Elena Goitini replied. “A big tournament, to be made even bigger to get people talking about Italy outside Italy”. And on this Cozzoli then concluded: “For us, Rome is at the same level of the Grand Slams. Between now and 2026 you will see an extraordinary impact, with structural and permanent investments, up to lighting and wi-fi connection”. But there will also be an additional tournament in the city: “We will have sleepless nights, with challenges between shopkeepers for window displays and prizes up for grabs” Onorato anticipated.

But what will enthusiasts with tickets see at the Forum? A bridge, brand new. Spectators will have to keep their noses turned up, because the area reserved for players will be connected to the Central via this novelty: contact with the public will be avoided. In fact, the new Player’s Lounge will move from the former Aula Bunker to the Piscine area (which some, in the world of swimming, call “The Gaza Strip”), making logistics easier for the athletes. One last bet remains, the roof: this summer a new tender will be launched to identify the construction company, the goal is the 2025 edition or, precisely, 2026.