The Over 65 Enna athlete talks about his debut in Sanremo and the international calendar between the world championships and Masters 700
With the start of the 2026 season, the international ITF Masters tournaments will restart and Enna will also be present on the world circuit thanks to Luigi Napoli, an athlete from Enna involved in Over 65 category. The first event is the Sanremo tournament, scheduled from 5 to 10 January, which awards 700 points, one of the highest prize pools in the world on the Masters circuit.
The 2026 season kicks off with an important tournament like Sanremo. What does this appointment mean? Napoli explains that Sanremo represents the official start of the season and also the first tournament in Italy. The value is high, because it offers 700 points, one of the highest scores on the ITF Masters circuit, and is therefore essential to start building the ranking.
He comes to this event after a significant victory in Antibes. How much does that success weigh? The Enna athlete underlines that the title won last September in Antibes was very important, both from a sporting and mental point of view. That result gave him awareness and motivation to face a long and challenging season.
How does the ITF Masters circuit work for those who follow international tennis less? Napoli clarifies that the ITF, International Tennis Federation, organizes Masters tournaments in a similar way to ATP tournaments. Each competition assigns a certain amount of points and all players are included in a constantly updated world ranking.
– What is the main goal for 2026? “The declared objective is to enter the top 100 players in the Over 65 world ranking. Napoli admits that this is a difficult undertaking, but reiterates that dreaming is not forbidden and that the season has been planned precisely to try to climb the rankings.”
– Besides Sanremo, what tournaments are scheduled? The athlete says that further participation in tournaments in Italy are planned, useful for accumulating points, followed by international events. Among these, the category World Championships stand out in Türkiye, in Manavgat, from 14 to 21 March, in a facility equipped with 61 tennis courts.
– What value do the Manavgat World Championships have for the ranking? Napoli explains that it is a Master 1000, which awards double scores compared to standard tournaments. This makes the event particularly important for world ranking purposes.
– Does the calendar also include other stops abroad? “After the world championships, the Enna athlete is looking to the tournament in Agadir, Morocco, from 29 March to 4 April, another Master 700, and to probable competitions in France, including Les Boules.”
– What is the final message of this season? “The final objective remains to gain points in the rankings and represent Enna and its tennis outside the national borders, bringing the name of the city into the international panorama of Masters tennis.”
Massimo Castagna
