Italian Tennis Federation President Angelo Binaghi hugs Jasmine Paolini after her victory in the Italian Open women's final in May 2025. | AFP-JIJI

Rome – Angelo Binaghi has dragged Italian tennis from the doldrums and into a golden age since taking charge of the country's federation (FITP) a quarter of a century ago, with Jannik Sinner just the very best of some of the world's top players.

But the organizer of the Italian Open, which runs in Rome until May 17, has an even bigger goal — breaking what he calls the Grand Slam monopoly and hosting a fifth major tournament in his home nation.

"The monopoly is scandalous and is a big handicap for tennis," Binaghi said in an interview.

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