Mattarella attended last year’s women’s final when Jasmine Paolini defeated Coco Gauff.
Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella will attend the men’s final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, or the Italian Open, at the Foro Italico in Rome on Sunday 17 May.
The head of state was invited by Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president Angelo Binaghi during a recent meeting at the Quirinale Palace, and was happy to accept.
Return
It will be the second year in a row that Mattarella has attended the Rome tournament’s concluding match in person. Last year he watched Jasmine Paolini defeat Coco Gauff in the women’s final.
Mattarella’s first visit to a final at the Foro Italico dates back to 2017, when Alexander Zverev defeated Novak Djokovic.
Italian final?
The president’s attendance takes on added significance given the state of play in the men’s draw. Both Jannik Sinner and Luciano Darderi remain in contention, with Darderi already through to the semi-finals, where he will face Casper Ruud.
The prospect of an all-Italian final, or at minimum an Italian finalist, has raised hopes that Mattarella will witness a home triumph.
Panatta
The prize-giving ceremony will carry its own historic resonance. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the trophy will be presented by Adriano Panatta, 50 years after his victory at the 1976 Rome tournament – still the last time an Italian man has won the title on home soil.
Derby
Mattarella’s attendance had also become a logistical factor in the wider scheduling controversy surrounding this weekend’s sport in Rome, as the Foro Italico complex sits adjacent to the Stadio Olimpico.
Authorities cited the president’s presence at the tennis final as one reason for requiring careful crowd management with the Roma-Lazio derby taking place at the same venue earlier in the day.
Photo credit: Gints Ivuskans / Shutterstock.com
