The ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome is to be modified and work on the new roof will begin soon. A year-round play with various sports is planned.
Some tennis stadiums around the globe are now equipped with a roof. The best example of this is the US Open, which is equipped with a highly functional roof construction that can be completely closed in just a few minutes. Smooth gaming operations are therefore no problem.
Now the tournament in the Italian capital Rome wants to improve. Plans for a roof over the Center Court had already been openly discussed last year, but these had to be rejected due to various problems. According to Rome’s mayor Virginia Raggi, the topic is not off the table and should be implemented as quickly as possible. “We try to fix the malfunctions quickly and to start the project as soon as possible. We have a plan to play sports there all year round,” Raggi explained.
The reconstruction of the legendary Foro Italico will depend on various associations. With the help of the Italian Tennis Federation and the Olympic Committee, among others, strong partners are to be brought on board to speed up the implementation of the project.
“We must not lose focus. People must be involved and sport should help. The city of Rome and the population will benefit from this”, Mayor Raggi is sure.
The Masters tournament in Rome was a great success, especially for Alexander Zverev in 2017. Against Novak Djokovic in the final, the 20-year-old celebrated his first Masters title and raptured with great and spectacular tennis in “Foro Italico”. The arena could be used in the coming years without rain interruption and would probably become even louder and more atmospheric with the roof.