Binaghi: 'Memorable internationals. Box office at 35.5 million, up 1.765% in 20 years

Internazionali BNL d'Italia 'memorable'. This is how the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, Angelo Binaghi, defined them during the closing press conference of the Roman tournament, held on the morning of Sunday, 18 May.

Binaghi rattled off numbers that were unthinkable a few years ago: 'We have exceeded 390,000 paying spectators, it is an extraordinary growth even though I think we are almost at the limit by now. The takings are more than 35 million and for the first time we correlate them with those of the Finals, which are similar despite the different vicissitudes. The economic impact on the territory, on the other hand, is around 900 million, while the social impact comes to 357 million, and in this the educational teaching of our champions such as Sinner and Paolini also plays a part. In short, we experienced, I think, a memorable edition of the Internationals. The new Pope, the Central cheering Mattarella, Paolini's success, these are emotions that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives'.

In detail, the numbers of the growth of the Internationals are impressive. The audience in twenty years, from 2005 to 2025 has increased by 469%, from 65,500 paying spectators to over 390,000, thanks to the expansion in time of the competition and, above all, to the interventions that have enlarged the spaces and services of the Foro Italico. As far as takings are concerned, in the same period, they rose from 10.6 to 35.5 million with an increase rate of 1.765%. Rome's ticket revenues exceeded the 34 million obtained from the Atp Finals in Turin (again, from 10.6 million to 34 from 2021 to 2025).

The economic impact of the Roman tournament goes hand in hand: 895 million. Of which 410 million of direct impact, 332 of indirect impact and 153 of induced impact. Jobs created or maintained thanks to the event amounted to 7,125, with 179 million in labour income generated. The tax authorities also smiled, which benefited from 147 million in revenue thanks to this impressive turnover.

"Why do the slam tournaments have to be four and always those? All these things are not right. They are things that preserve monopolies and do not help tennis to grow,' added the Fitp president, regarding Rome's ambition to become the fifth major on the circuit. 'We will do our part, but we must not forget where we come from. We in the federation do not have the mandate to be second behind football and behind the slams'.