Here we are! Less than 72 hours separate us from the opening match of the most anticipated tournament of the year, the event in which ‘Champions elect their Champion’. This afternoon the Intesa Sanpaolo Skyscraper in Turin was the venue for the presentation press conference and the draw of the 54th edition of the Nitto ATP Finals, the tournament which, awaiting the final Davis Cup event in Malaga, officially closes the 2023 season by comparing the best eight singles players and the best eight doubles pairs of the year. The tournament, scheduled from Sunday 12th to Sunday 19th November, will be played for the third consecutive year on the fast indoor court of Alpitour altarpiece in Turin.
During the press conference, opened by the greeting of the ‘host’ Gian Maria Gros-Pietro (President of Intesa Sanpaolo), Angelo Binaghi (President of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation), Massimo Calvelli (CEO of ATP), Marco Mezzaroma ( President of Sport and Health), Stefano Lo Russo (Mayor of the City of Turin), Fabrizio Ricca (Councillor for Sport of the Piedmont Region) and Sam Strijckmans (Executive Vice President, General Manager of EMEA of Nitto Denko Corporation) illustrated the news of this third Italian edition.
Angelo Binaghi, President of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation: “Today is a great day of celebration. It is for our people of tennis players who are getting bigger and bigger. It is for the ATP who believed in us, giving us this opportunity. It is for those who supported us, the State, the Italian and foreign sponsors who would like to do it even more but we no longer have space. It is for those who created this great success with us, Sport and Health and the Management Committee. It is for the territory, the Municipality, the Region. Finally, it will be for all the players, to whom we welcome. The data says it: out of a total of 166,470 salable tickets we sold 160,612 (40.2% from abroad, from 95 different countries, 9 more than last year, major buyers: Switzerland 4.46%, Germany 2, 9%, England 2.79% and Brazil 2.72%, not even one from Saudi) equal to 96.5% of salable tickets. Adding the attendance of the press, the athletes’ staff, and the seats reserved for the ATP and the authorities, we arrive at a total of 171,097 total attendances out of 176,985 seats available in the 15 sessions, equal to almost 97% of the maximum capacity of the facility . Data in hand, we will get to have all 15 sessions sold out, even if the release mechanism of the companies that manage the packages should allow even the last latecomers to still find a few tickets at the last moment. And since this is the largest arena our country has ever had, it means that in the history of Italian sport there has never been an indoor event with this success. These are data from an event of global relevance and visibility, which will be visible in 179 different countries and in 849 million homes, and which as we know, and as E&Y will illustrate to us at the end, will generate, among other things, an economic impact on the territory exceeding 230 million euros, an extraordinary revenue for the State exceeding 50 million euros and the creation of new job opportunities equal to the equivalent of a number of full-time jobs for a year equal to approximately 1,500. What we will know in the end, because it is the subject of a study that we commissioned from a leading company in the sector, is the social impact of this event, which evaluates the effects generated on our community by studying the change in lifestyles, and the well-being generated by it, evaluating for example the drive to practice sports that it may have generated, the development of a sense of community, the improvement of the image of the host region, the promotion of local culture and identity and the increase in pride civic. All these factors can not only improve the quality of life, but also stimulate further investments, attract new inhabitants and tourists, thus expanding the long-term economic impact of the event. We would like to provide you with just one piece of data, to also respond to a sensitivity that the Mayor had highlighted on recent occasions, which demonstrates how deeply the Finals are having an impact on the fabric of the local community. This is the trend of the members of the Piedmont region since we have the Finals, and this is that of the young tennis players in the same period of time. But the fact that the celebration will be so big will be heard in the roar that will welcome Jannik onto the pitch, because we will also be on the pitch with him, for the first time in history as seeded players, among the favourites, aware of the fact that being there is in any case a great achievement but if by chance we were to manage to get to the end it would only be confirmation of the value that we have already demonstrated we have”.
Massimo Calvelli, CEO of ATP: “This event represents the first stage of a journey that will end in 11 days, a fantastic event, I congratulate the eight players who qualified, it was an incredible season, new rivalries were born and we saw a real battle generational between Djokovic and Alcaraz. This group is the strongest ever seen at the Finals. Sinner is the home idol, he will be supported by the public. Guaranteed show! I thank FITP, the authorities, the sponsors and all those who contributed to making this event happen in Turin, I was impressed by the city’s ability to give an identity to the event. The whole community welcomed the event, there is a lot of energy, and then there is the desire to innovate and try new things, the desire to focus on important issues such as sustainability, and also the ability to adopt new technologies. We are proud. Tennis is going very well, we are increasingly focused on our fans, we hope to give them another unforgettable experience.”
Marco MezzaromaPresident of Sport and Health: “I greet President Gros-Pietro, all the authorities and congratulations to President Binaghi for the organization of this event which is now a global event. We are proud to be able to collaborate as Sport and Health in the conception and to the organization of this tournament, happy to make our know-how available as we do in Rome for the Internationals. The Foro Italico is the iconic place of our great sporting events, which increasingly act as drivers for tourism and l economic impact. We want to specialize more and more in the planning and management of major international events. I would also like to focus on one fact, the growth of members in Piedmont: major sporting events produce extraordinary results also on the grassroots level. I must give credit to President Binaghi who his is a truly relevant activity. I too hope that this event can continue to live in Italy.”
Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of the City of Turin: “Turin is once again the international capital of great tennis with the Nitto ATP Finals and we are really very happy about it. The anticipation is growing to see the great champions who are coming to the city, just yesterday I welcomed Jannik Sinner to Turin, the only Italian among the top eight tennis players in the world who certainly contributes to growing the support, and Carlos Alcaraz, committed in training. This is also the first edition on which as an administration we have worked since the end of the previous one to implement a program of collateral initiatives that will also transform the event into a big party for the whole city, with a rich program of free events for all the Turin and Turin shops that will open tomorrow”.
Fabrizio Ricca, Councilor for Sport of the Piedmont Region: “The Municipality and Region are happy to work together with Fitp to keep the event in this area. I thank President Binaghi because he started believing and insisting on this territory years ago, he will use the enormous growth of Piedmontese members which is very important for us, we hope that the next Sinner will be born in these parts. Turin and Piedmont have a high sporting vocation which this event demonstrates, we could have an Olympics here. We want to be alongside Federtennis for many years to come.”
Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, President of Intesa Sanpaolo: “The Nitto ATP FINALS this year promise to be very interesting, particularly for Italians. It is the third year of our commitment, we are very satisfied. For us it is a great pride that they take place in Turin. This skyscraper is the iconic headquarters of Intesa Sanpaolo, here we study the future. We are the centrality of Turin, which is currently the world center of tennis, the city is appreciated by everyone. There is great organizational capacity here, with the enthusiasm of all the citizens. In its first editions we saw the potential of the event grow. Sport corresponds to the ethical principles of Intesa Sanpaolo. Of all sports, tennis is the one that brings correctness and elegance to the highest levels. Now it’s time to appreciate the emotions of the tournament live, which will see our Jannok Sinner, our global testimonial, on the pitch, in the hope that this adventure can last for a long time to come.”
Sam Strijckman, Executive Vice President, General Manager of EMEA, Nitto: “It is an honor for me to be here at the kick-off of this event, in a fantastic city that is now our second home. Nitto is a company that has historically supported people and the challenges they face every day. I truly extend our gratitude to ATP, Fitp, the city of Turin and all the other partners. Our goal is to support tennis, and through tennis to work for an increasingly humane and sustainable society. We implement concrete actions, such as the Turin Green Project together with the city, to which we have donated 40 thousand trees, with the aim of reducing Co2 emissions, and with which we support the use of public transport by citizens. We are ready to experience this fantastic event, for which the whole world has great expectations.”
Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic lead the Blue Carpet – Their faces appeared one after the other, amidst a play of lights and effects, on the Mole Antonelliana, the symbol of the city. The most evocative and iconic way to welcome… and in some cases welcome back… the eight protagonists of the singles tournament and the sixteen protagonists of the doubles tournament. The host Jannik Sinner, in his first qualification obtained on the pitch (after his 2021 appearance as a reserve), the Spaniard Carlos Alcarazin his first participation after the injury that stopped him 12 months ago, and the multi-title Novak Djokovic, in their sixteenth appearance at the Finals, lead the group of champions who will compete for the title of ‘master’ until Sunday 19 November. Together with them the winners of past Daniil editions MedvedevStephens Tsitsipas e Alexander Zverevcon Andrey Rublev e Holger Rune to complete the picture.
Before leaving room for their magic on the tennis court, tomorrow afternoon, in the splendid setting of Palazzo Reale, the eight champions will parade on the Blue Carpet, on the day traditionally dedicated to Media Day. The same commitment for the doubles players who on 11 November will parade in heart of the Fan Village at Pala Alpitour. Here are the eight qualified players and eight couples:
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB)
2. Carlos Alcaraz (SPA)
3. Daniel Medvedev
4. John Therer (ITA)
5. Andrey Rublev
6. Stephens Tsitsipas (GRE)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER)
8. Holger Rune (THE)
1. Dodig / Krajicek (CRO/USA)
2. Koolhof / Skupski (OLA/GBR)
3. Bopanna / Ebden (IND/OFF)
4. Granollers / Zeballos (SPA/ARG)
5. Gonzalez/Roger-Vasselin (MEX/FRA)
6. Ram / Salisbury (USA / GBR)
7. Gonzalez / Molteni (ANGRY / ANGRY)
8. Hijikata/Kubler (FROM FROM)