Italian tennis has been on arguably its most successful run over the last few years. Leading the march is World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, with four Grand Slam titles and the last five Masters 1000 crowns. There are four Italians in the top 20 of the men’s world rankings. On the women’s side, Jasmine Paolini is ranked eighth, with a career-high of No. 4. She reached the singles final at both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, tasting title success at WTA 1000 level at Dubai (2024) and Rome (2025). Italy has won the Davis Cup for the last three years and the women’s equivalent, the Billie Jean King Cup, for the last two years. This dominant run has prompted calls to recognise the Italian Open, already a prestigious clay tournament, as a fifth Grand Slam. What is a Grand Slam? The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open are considered a notch above regular tour events. They are jointly called Grand Slam tournaments.…