Italy’s Tennis Federation Builds Year-Round Esports Circuit

The Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel (FITP) has built a year-round esports programme around Tennis Clash, a mobile game developed by Brazil-based Wildlife Studios. The programme includes online tournaments, rankings, memberships and live finals linked to major tennis events.

FITP entered competitive gaming in April 2024, naming Tennis Clash its official game and launching the FITP eSports project. Its first activation took place two days later at the Naples stop of the Road to IBI tour. Events followed in Bari and Milan.

The first IBI eSeries was held at Rome’s Foro Italico in May 2024, with a €10,000 prize pool. Later that year, FITP launched the Nitto ATP Finals eSeries. Its first Final 8 took place at Turin’s Inalpi Arena on Nov. 20, 2024.

In 2026, FITP added a Regular Season, monthly Masters competitions and National Finals. BMW became the title sponsor of the FITP eSeries, while the IBI eSeries and Nitto ATP Finals eSeries became international competitions.

FITP General Director Marco Martinasso explained that the federation first wanted to reach people who had little contact with it through a tennis game they already played on their phones. “Just as in traditional sports, esports for us are not defined by a single tournament or a single event. They represent an ecosystem built on participation, engagement, and progression throughout the year,” he said.

Players compete through a dedicated online platform at different skill levels and in several formats. Live events serve as finals for players who qualify during the season. FITP has designed the programme for casual players as well as those seeking places in its main competitions.

The 2026 IBI eSeries attracted players from more than 100 countries. France and Italy had the highest participation, followed by India, the United States and Brazil. FITP reported that more than half of first-time participants enter another tournament within 30 days.

FITP introduced its eSports Membership in 2025. The membership connects the digital competitions with the federation’s physical activities and gives players access to an organised community. The federation also uses its myFITP platform to support the programme.

Wildlife provides access to Tennis Clash’s global player base, in-game tournament tools and features developed for the FITP circuit. FITP manages the membership programme and provides technology and operational support for online and live events. Martinasso described the arrangement as an operational partnership rather than a licensing agreement.

“Tennis Clash was the right choice first and foremost because of its authenticity,” Martinasso said. “It is not a generic video game with a tennis theme applied on top; it is a title built entirely around the core mechanics of tennis.” He cited the game’s scoring system, serving mechanics, one-on-one format and match structure.

Tennis Clash is free to play and runs on mobile devices without specialised hardware. FITP uses the Italian Open, the Nitto ATP Finals and the Davis Cup to reach tennis fans. Gaming conventions provide access to younger mobile players. Martinasso identified Generation Z as a growing audience for FITP’s digital competitions and gaming events.

The Nitto ATP Finals eSeries is scheduled for November 2026 at Turin’s Inalpi Arena. The eight highest-ranked players will compete in a single-day event on the main stage of the tournament’s Fan Village.

Tennis Clash has also been used in other tennis competitions. The ATP and WTA partnered with Wildlife on the Tennis United in-game tournament in 2021, and the International Tennis Federation began working with the developer that year. Tennis Clash featured in the 2023 Olympic Esports Series, followed by the launch of the World Tennis eChampionship by the ITF and Wildlife.

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Reviewed and fact-checked by Alex Panasenko on November 10.