Raffaele Ciurnelli will play the Australian Open Juniores. Tennis athlete Giotto, born in 2008, has obtained the pass to participate in one of the four most important youth tournaments in the world and is ready to leave for Australia where he will experience the emotions of debuting in a slam. The results obtained at international level during the last season, among which the victory of the European Under-18 doubles title stands out, have allowed Ciurnelli to gain points in the ITF – International Tennis Federation ranking to be among the best promises in the world ranking and thus deserve access to the Australian Open.
Ambassador of Arezzo
The departure for Australia was preceded by a meeting with the deputy mayor Lucia Tanti and the sports councilor Federico Scapecchi who presented the tennis player with the flag with the effigy of the Municipality of Arezzo as an “ambassador” of the city and of city sport in this long, demanding and prestigious trip. Ciurnelli’s journey, accompanied by maestro Alessandro Caneschi, will start on Friday 9 January with the flight from Rome to Melbourne, together with the Italian delegation made up of two other tennis players from the Junior category, as well as a coach and an athletic trainer from the federation.
Training in Australia
The first stage will be a J300 grade preparatory tournament in the city of Traralgon from Friday 16 to Wednesday 21 January, which will be followed by the actual Australian Open Juniors scheduled from Saturday 24 January to Sunday 1 February at the same time as the professional slam which in 2025 was won by Jannik Sinner in the final against Alexander Zverev. The absolute level of the youth tournament is demonstrated by the successes, in some recent editions, of tennis players of the caliber of Lorenzo Musetti, Nick Kyrgios and Zverev himself, thus configuring a context of very high technical profile which represents an extraordinary opportunity for growth, comparison and affirmation for a future professional career.
The satisfaction of the Municipality of Arezzo
«Raffaele Ciurnelli’s participation in the Australian Open Juniores – commented in unison the deputy mayor Lucia Tanti and the sports councilor Federico Scapecchi – represents a result of extraordinary sporting and human value not only for him, but for the entire city of Arezzo. We are talking about a young athlete who, thanks to commitment, talent and sacrifice, has been able to build a path of excellence that today leads him to compete with the best promises of world tennis on one of the most prestigious stages ever. As the municipal administration we wanted to meet him before departure and give him the city flag because Raffaele will in all respects be an ambassador of Arezzo and of the values of Arezzo sport: passion, dedication, fairness and team spirit. His journey is also the fruit of the great work carried out by Tennis Giotto, by the technicians and by the entire educational and sporting network that accompanies our young people in their growth. Our most sincere good luck goes to Raffaele, with the hope that this international experience will be a further stage of personal and sporting growth and a source of pride for the entire Arezzo community.”
Ciurnelli’s career
Having arrived at Tennis Giotto way back in 2015, Ciurnelli’s entire sporting career was linked to the Arezzo club which followed his growth path from Under 8 to international goals, supporting him with targeted training, technical skills and a complete educational path. Participation in the Australian Open Juniores, from this perspective, represents the pinnacle of a path that has found expression in the victory of five international titles in 2025 alone, with a constant improvement in results. The most significant moment was the call-up to the Italian Under18 national team to participate in the European Championships in Oberpullendorf in Austria where he achieved a historic goal such as winning the continental title in doubles, following up on successes in other singles or doubles tournaments played between Türkiye and Belgium. Ciurnelli’s experience and value were also confirmed in the A2 series championship where he was decisive in contributing to the second place obtained in his group by Tennis Giotto, confirming himself also in comparison with bigger and more experienced opponents as one of the most interesting prospects of the entire peninsula.
The pride of the Giotto Tennis Club
«The participation of an athlete from Tennis Giotto in the Australian Open Juniores – adds Luca Benvenuti, president of Tennis Giotto – is a source of great pride for our entire club and for the Arezzo tennis movement: Raffaele grew up with us, representing the values of sport and the work of our club with commitment, talent and determination. We are certain that this international experience, in which he will also have the additional responsibility of officially representing the city of Arezzo, will be a fundamental step for his personal and professional future.”
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