Italy to Host Official Wimbledon Grass-Court Tuneup Tournament Starting 2028
Key keywords: Italy 2028 grass tennis tournament, Wimbledon pre-tournament tuneup, ATP grass court calendar expansion, Italian Tennis Federation, pre-Wimbledon warm-up event, professional grass court tennis, WTA grass circuit addition, All England Lawn Tennis Club
The Italian Tennis Federation (FIT) announced a landmark partnership with the ATP, WTA, and All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) this week to launch the first-ever top-tier grass court tennis tournament in Italy, set to debut in 2028 as an official warm-up event for Wimbledon. The week-long, combined men’s and women’s tournament will be held at a purpose-built 12-court grass tennis complex in the Lombardy region, just outside Milan, with an 8,000-seat center court and practice facilities built to match the exact specifications of Wimbledon’s courts, including the same perennial ryegrass turf, bounce height, and court speed to help players seamlessly adjust to the surface ahead of the third Grand Slam of the year.
Scheduled to take place immediately after the conclusion of the French Open, the event will fill a long-cited gap in the professional tennis calendar, which currently offers only three weeks of competitive grass court play between Roland Garros and Wimbledon. For decades, players have raised concerns about the short transition period between slow red clay and fast grass, which often leads to unexpected early upsets and higher injury rates as athletes rush to adjust their movement and stroke mechanics for the new surface. The new Italian event will offer both ATP 250 and WTA 250 ranking points, making it an attractive option for players across the ranking spectrum, not just top-seeded athletes who typically receive wildcards to established elite grass events like the Queen’s Club Championships and Halle Open.
FIT president Angelo Binaghi noted that the tournament will also feature junior and wheelchair tennis draws to expand access to grass court competition for underrepresented groups on the tour. The AELTC has pledged technical support for the event’s construction and operations, with a spokesperson noting that “supporting high-quality warm-up events for Wimbledon benefits the entire tennis ecosystem, by ensuring players arrive in London in peak competitive form and ready to deliver their best tennis for fans.” Construction on the new grass complex is set to begin in 2026, with testing events scheduled for 2027 to refine court conditions ahead of the official 2028 launch.
Featured Comments
Wow this is such a game-changer for the grass season! I always thought it was unfair that players only have 2-3 weeks to switch from slow clay to fast grass after Roland Garros. Adding this event in Italy will give lower-ranked players more chances to earn ranking points on grass too, not just the top seeds who get wildcards for Queen’s and Halle.
As a long-time tennis analyst, I’m really impressed by the Italian Tennis Federation’s forward thinking here. The rise of Italian tennis stars like Jannik Sinner and Martina Trevisan has already boosted local interest in the sport, and a home grass court event will only grow that fanbase further. I can already see this becoming a fan favorite stop on the tour by 2030.
Full support from this lifelong Wimbledon fan! If players are better adjusted to grass when they get to the All England Club, we’ll get fewer disappointing first-round upsets from top players who just can’t find their footing on the surface, and way more high-quality matches across the whole two weeks of Wimbledon.