The first thing that strikes anyone walking through the Foro Italico is the way history embraces the present. Because for three weeks, during the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the sporting heart of Rome comes alive: around 500,000 fans gather among the white marble statues and the red clay courts. It’s a universe that comes to life to host the best tennis players in the world, to welcome those who have always loved tennis and those who have recently fallen for the sport thanks to the forehands of a player with orange hair. A universe unfolding beneath Roman pine trees, under the gaze of statues, surrounded by stories. The very stories that make a place unique. And stories we told together with Reale Mutua, as Italy’s leading mutual insurance company renewed its agreement as Main Partner of the tournament for another three years.
We’re talking about a partnership built on the core values of sport: competitiveness, fair play, constant improvement. Values that Reale Mutua chose to tell through the voice of an absolute champion: Jury Chechi, the “Lord of the Rings,” a true icon of Italian sport. The Olympic champion hosts Back in the Game, the series created by Reale Mutua featuring some of Italy’s greatest athletes. Athletes who, just like Chechi, found the strength to step back into the arena after difficult moments. Gianluigi Buffon, Sara Errani, Marco Belinelli, Cristiana Girelli, and many others. The result was a series of conversations filled with anecdotes and genuinely fun moments. Because, as they say, champions understand each other.
Jury Chechi stopped by the Foro Italico during the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the perfect setting to launch the new season of Back in the Game. Reale Mutua’s hospitality area became a content hub where Chechi, the perfect host and elite athlete, welcomed talents such as Myriam Sylla and Claudio Marchisio into an inspiring sports narrative for all fans.
And that wasn’t all: just steps away from the Campo Centrale, Reale Mutua opened the doors to the challenge inside its dedicated Fan Village space. Thanks to artificial intelligence, every visitor had the chance to become part of the experience by symbolically stepping into the show broadcast on Sky Sport. Imagine the thrill of facing an Olympic champion. Winning is hard—very hard. But not impossible. Because Back in the Game, in the end, is one big family. A home that welcomes sports lovers and athletes alike. And so everyone passed through the Rome hospitality lounge: from Marco Belinelli to Lillo Petrolo, from Giulia Penna to Valentina Barbieri. Presences that created a direct link between sport, entertainment, and shared values.
The Foro Italico is magical, as we said. A parallel universe that comes alive for three weeks. But for every universe lit up by the crack of tennis balls on racquets and the chants of children in the stands, there’s another one moving silently behind the scenes. A world driven by procedures, precision, and attention to detail. These are the people working to protect a tradition, to preserve a passion. And at the Italian stop of the tour, there are so many of them: those managing catering, those telling the story of the Foro Italico, those caring for the courts, the lines, the red clay itself. Like a great machine constantly in motion to give players and fans the best possible conditions—whether to express talent or simply to live an unforgettable day where everyone feels part of a larger community.
To understand this, one name is enough: Francesco Pezzulli. You may not know him personally, but if you’ve ever watched a Leonardo DiCaprio movie in Italian, you’ve definitely heard his voice. In everyday life, Pezzulli is a voice actor. When he’s not behind a microphone, he plays tennis at the Foro Italico club. And during the Internazionali, he’s one of the volunteers guiding fans through the locker rooms and exclusive areas usually reserved only for players. Truly unique moments. Because walking through the Pietrangeli tunnel accompanied by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Italian voice is an incredible experience. A Hollywood-worthy one, in fact.
Then there are the stories of the players themselves: those competing to confirm their talent, and those quietly knocking on the door of greatness. It happened to Noemi Basiletti, who entered the main draw for the first time, and to Andrea Pellegrino, who defeated Frances Tiafoe before facing Jannik Sinner in the fourth round. Maybe it’s because it’s played at the Foro Italico, maybe it’s the atmosphere of the city, but during the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, tennis always delivers new stories. Stories that resonate both on and off the court, becoming examples for all of us. For those who want to play, train, work—or simply enjoy themselves. Just like Jannik Sinner does at the Foro Italico. Because when you’re a champion, all red clay roads lead to Rome.