The Italian Open is held at one of the most picturesque venues in all of tennis.
The tournament is located in Rome, and the legacy of the world’s most famous empire is strong.
Inaugurated in 1934, it formed part of the Foro Italico complex that fascist dictator Benito Mussolini dreamt up to celebrate his country’s past.
Architect Constantino Costantini leant heavily into classical features, including 18 marble statues representing Olympic athletes.
The fusion between sport and art was an attempt to secure the 1940 Olympics for Rome but the Eternal City lost out to Tokyo, with the Games later moved to Helsinki and ultimately called off due to the outbreak of World War II.
The Foro is also home to 18 clay courts, including the Stadio Centrale — which will host the finals — and Stadio Nicola Pietrangeli, which are linked to other facilities via underground passages.
Other sports are represented with the 70,000-seater Stadio Olimpico, ornate Stadio dei Marmi and an aquatics center built for the 1960 Olympics.
Some have questioned the suitability of the complex — originally called the Forco Mussolini — for representing Italy on the world stage.
At the northern entrance there is a giant monument to the fallen dicator.
The 60-foot-high obelisk is engraved vertically with three-foot letters saying ‘MVSSOLINI DVX.’
It was designed to hark back to the glory days of ancient Rome and crowned Mussolini as a ‘Dux’ (military leader or governor).
He wanted his monument to be taller than any which had been carried back from Egypt, and 300 tons of marble were used.
GettyFans are treated to an intimate view[/caption] GettyA lack of seats has caused problems in recent years[/caption] GettyOrganizers were forced to add new stands and ruined the aesthetic[/caption]In 2016 a secret was uncovered underneath it — a metal box containing a latin eulogy to ‘Il Duce’ which thanked him for ‘regenerating Italy through his superhuman insight and resoluteness,’ via The Second Serve.
If you overlook the ties to one of the more uncomfortable eras of Italy’s history as an Axis Power under Mussolini, it is hard to think of a more scenic venue on the tennis circuit.
But the tournament has been a victim of its own success and with Italian superstar Jannik Sinner returning from his ban, organizers adopted changes that went down like pineapple on pizza with fans.
The president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP), Angelo Binaghi, warned that overcrowding was becoming a real issue and decided to expand stands.
Unfortunately that led to the sculptures surrounding the Stadio Nicola Pietrangeli being covered up, robbing the court of its former beauty.
“I had to come and see for myself the new look of the Pietrangeli track, with temporary stands. The look is absolutely horrible,” said The Guardian’s tennis correspondent.
Shutterstock EditorialGauff will hope to win her first Italian Open singles title[/caption] GettyPlayers do battle in front of marble athletes[/caption]“What a mistake, visually speaking, what they did at the Foro Italico in Rome with the Nicola Pietrangeli court, which was one of the most picturesque on the tour. They covered the statues to place new stands (more tickets),” wrote Argentinian tennis expert Sebastian Torok.
Thousands of years ago, gladiators fought to the death on sand in front of thousands of fans.
While not quite as violent, today’s clay-based battles are still enthralling and there are two intense final matchups over the weekend.
On Saturday, Coco Gauff looks to seal her first title against hometown favorite Jasmine Paolini.
The No.6 seed is the first Italian finalist on the women’s side for over a decade.
Whoever wins will pocket $978,000 dollars.
Gauff would also match her career-best ranking of world No.2 if she secures victory.
Then on Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz takes on Sinner in what should be a boisterous atmosphere.
The Spaniard beat Italian favourite Lorenzo Musetti in a thrilling semifinal to put himself in elite company.
Alcaraz’s winning rate of 65 percent against ATP top-10 opponents since 1973 is better than Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at this stage of their careers.
Only Bjorn Borg, Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker are ahead of him.
In the tennis world this weekend, all roads lead to Rome and a unique throwback to a more brutal time.
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