A new grass-court ATP 250 tournament, serving as a warm-up for Wimbledon, is set to debut in Milan in 2028, with the historic San Siro stadium being considered as a potential venue. The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation has acquired the rights to a 250-level ATP Tour event previously held in Brussels, as announced by federation president Angelo Binaghi. The tournament is slated to take place every June starting in 2028, and while the San Siro, home to AC Milan and Inter Milan with a capacity exceeding 75,000, is a likely candidate, the final decision has yet to be made.
Binaghi mentioned that the event will probably be held in northern Italy due to climate considerations. Drawing inspiration from the Madrid Open's introduction of practice courts within Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu, the San Siro could emerge as a prime option.
Italy has previously hosted a grass-court WTA tournament in Gaiba from 2022 to 2024. The federation is also hosting the ATP Finals in Turin until 2030 and the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna through next year, in addition to the Rome Masters on clay preceding the French Open.
Furthermore, work on a retractable roof for the Campo Centrale at the Foro Italico is scheduled to commence immediately after this year's Internazionali BNL d'Italia, aiming for completion by the 2028 edition. Binaghi expressed his ambition to elevate the tournament in Rome to the status of a fifth Grand Slam, rivaling the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner is striving to become the first Italian man to claim the singles title at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta's victory 50 years ago.