Italy joins the grass-court swing: Milan to host new ATP 250 from 2028

The ATP Tour will return to Milan in 2028 with the creation of a new ATP 250 tournament played on grass, marking a historic milestone for Italian tennis. It will be the first time a men’s main-tour event in Italy is staged on the surface traditionally associated with Wimbledon and the early summer grass swing.

According to a report from Corriere della Sera, the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP) has acquired the licence of the ATP 250 tournament currently held in Brussels. That event is usually played in October on indoor hard courts, but the Italian federation plans to relocate it to Milan and transform it into a grass-court competition beginning in 2028.

The agreement reportedly required a significant investment. FITP president Angelo Binaghi is said to have offered approximately $24 million to secure the licence, with around 10 percent allocated to the ATP as part of the deal.

The new event is expected to be placed within the short grass-court swing between Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Early editions will likely be scheduled either in the week following the French Open — alongside the tournaments in Stuttgart and ’s-Hertogenbosch — or in the week immediately preceding Wimbledon, when events in Mallorca and Eastbourne are traditionally held.

The ATP Tour’s return to Milan also carries historical significance. The city previously hosted an ATP tournament between 1978 and 1997, and again from 2001 to 2005, first on synthetic courts and later on hard courts. Since 2006, Milan’s main professional event has been a Challenger tournament held at the Aspria Harbour Club.

The project is part of a broader strategy by the Italian federation to strengthen the country’s role within the global tennis calendar. Italy already hosts the Italian Open in Rome, one of the ATP Masters 1000 events, while the ATP Finals will remain in Turin until 2030 and the Davis Cup Finals are scheduled to stay in Italy through at least 2027.

The expansion reflects the strong growth of tennis within the country. Italy currently counts an estimated 16.9 million tennis fans, around 1.25 million registered federation members, and an annual economic impact of roughly €1.2 billion, with the sport employing approximately 57,000 people nationwide.

Recent success at the professional level has also fueled the sport’s popularity. Players such as Jannik Sinner, currently among the leading figures on the ATP Tour, alongside Lorenzo Musetti and Jasmine Paolini, have helped drive renewed interest in tennis across the country.

Looking ahead, the federation’s ambition extends beyond the initial ATP 250 status. According to reports, FITP leadership hopes to eventually upgrade the tournament to ATP 500 level, following the development path of events such as Doha, Dallas and Munich in recent years. If successful, Milan could become an important stop during the grass-court season leading into Wimbledon.