The dream for the 12 Italian talents continues. The third edition of Intesa Sanpaolo Assicura Little Tennis Champions was presented this morning in Turin, the scholarship program set up by the charity I Tennis Foundation for young Italian talents with quality and ambition but not the financial resources to make the most of them.
The annual scholarship plan, launched as early as the summer of 2022 with a call for entries throughout Italy and on-court selections with champion Francesca Schiavone, aims to provide participation in 11 international Under 18 tournaments of the ITF Circuit and 5 rallies in preparation for competitive events under the supervision of I Tennis Foundation‘s top coaches and ambassadors. A unique opportunity to learn from true legends of the sport such as Emilio Sanchez (former ATP no.7 in singles and no.1 in doubles, then coach and founder of the Academies that bear his name), Ivan Ljubicic (former world no.3 world no. 3 and Roger Federer’s last coach), Gipo Arbino, who with Sonego (taken at the age of 11 and led up to an ATP best ranking of 21 and a Davis Cup victory) achieved an extraordinary feat, realizing the dream of every tennis coach, and Marco Panichi, athletic trainer alongside Novak Djokovic for seven seasons, including 11 Grand Slam titles.
The international schedule will also be accompanied by a mental course with Stefano Massari (Matteo Berrettini’s mental coach), as well as the support of an athletic trainer, a nutritionist, and complementary courses on Sports Communication, Ethics, and Learning by the Champions and English courses.
“I am proud to be part of this project from the very beginning and to be the technical director of this dream,” said Emilio Sanchez, who in his Academy has raised champions such as former world number 1 Andy Murray. “This program is unique and has never been realized by anyone else in tennis history.
The protagonists of Intesa Sanpaolo Assicura Little Tennis Champions are Francesca Galli, Martina Cerbo, Alessandra Fiorillo, Mattia Bille, Mattia Cappellari, Matteo Gribaldo, Carlo Paci, Mattia Pagano, Alex Romano and Christian Sala, who are joined from this year by Giorgia Buccinotti and Van Son Didoni.
“We continue with conviction our support for this program, which for us does not just represent the disbursement of a scholarship, but an initiative that promotes fundamental values in which the entire Intesa Sanpaolo Group believes strongly, such as inclusion, loyalty, and respect,” said Alessandro Scarfò, Managing Director and General Manager of Intesa Sanpaolo Assicura – Our concrete economic contribution, combined with the professionalism of the experts who accompany the young talents along this path, are an example of how with the right preparation, proper planning of one’s goals and the support of qualified people, one can realise one’s life plans”.
“The constant support of the title sponsor Intesa Sanpaolo Assicura and all the partners, combined with the great work done by our Board, allows us to accompany these fantastic young talents on their growth path for the third consecutive year,” explained Simone Bongiovanni, founder of I Tennis Foundation and coordinator of the program. “The goal is, as always, to give them experiences in international tournaments that they would otherwise not be able to do. The trust and support of extraordinary people, before them incredible professionals, such as Emilio Sanchez, Gipo Arbino, Marco Panichi, and Stefano Massari represents a further opportunity for our scholars to understand what it takes to cultivate their ambitions.
The personal and tennis-related growth of the girls and boys involved during the first two editions, was also witnessed by the successes achieved in international tournaments (21 titles, 20 finals, and 28 semi-finals reached, in addition to 2 Italian titles), according to Gipo Arbino, ‘are confirmation of the validity of this beautiful project,’ explains the coach from Turin. ‘I coached this group on several occasions during the first two editions and I can say that they have all reached an excellent level: to carry out such a structured international program with a support team of this caliber is a unique opportunity. And they have all deserved this additional chance.
Coached by great coaches, the talents of the I Tennis Foundation were inspired by the ambassadors they met periodically during the first two years of the project: from the Davis champion Lorenzo Musetti, Lorenzo Sonego, and Matteo Arnaldi, to the Italian champions Jasmine Paolini and Elisabetta Cocciaretto, to the coaches Vincenzo Santopadre and Omar Camporese.
The initiative, sponsored by Sport and Health, the Piedmont Region, the City of Turin, the Laureus Italia Foundation, the Professional Tennis Registry, the Ferrero Foundation, and the Cecilia Gilardi Foundation, is supported by prestigious brands:
– the Title Sponsor Intesa Sanpaolo Assicura;
– the Official Sponsors ZTE, Coop Lombardia, Dierre, Assist Digital, Gruppo Colombo;
– the Supporters Dental Feel, Atla, Oma, Sforza Maserati, Gada, Ceta, Profilmec, LabLaw;
– the Technical Suppliers Head, Sergio Tacchini, Dunlop, Colmar, Valmora, Mollo Noleggio, La Scuola dei campioni, T61.
THE 2024-2025 PROGRAMME
The program aims to prepare the boys for the matches with on-court and classroom sessions on the tactical and mental level, in tune with the boys’ families and clubs.
The project includes a package including participation in 11 ITF U18 tournaments, U15 and U16 Italian Championships, 5 special training sessions with our top coaches and I Tennis staff, 5 complementary courses such as mental coaching, proper nutrition, sports communication, sports ethics and learning by the champions.
Following the ITF tournament in San Marino at the beginning of July and the meeting in Turin from the 15th to the 21st, the international program will start again in August with appointments in Cuneo (J30), Livorno (J30) and Domzale- Slovenia (J60), while between September and October, after the Italian Under 15 Championships (the review for the U16s is scheduled for December), there will be a return to competition in Barcelona (ITF J100), Palermo (J100), Pescara (J60) and Cairo (J60).
In November, while the eyes of the world are on Turin for the Masters Tournament, the I Tennis Foundation team meets again under the Mole for a special training session with Ivan Ljubicic and Gipo Arbino.
In 2025, they will resume with a meeting in the splendid location of Villa Reale Tennis Monza, followed by three ITF tournaments between March and April.
In May, the grand finale in Rome on the courts of the Circolo degli Esteri with Vincenzo Santopadre, Gipo Arbino, and Stefano Massari, and the unfailing Charity Night for the awarding of diplomas.
