NextGen Talents Take Centre Stage at Foro Italico in Rome

Just three years ago, Giulia Dal Pozzo was crowned champion in the Under-18 girls’ category at the FIP Promises Rome event, a tournament on the FIP junior circuit where emerging talents have the opportunity to showcase their potential. Three years later, the Italian player will compete for a place in the semi-finals of the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel, following a marathon victory over Carolina Orsi and Patty Llaguno. Had anyone asked her on that summer day in 2023 whether she could have imagined such a journey, she would probably not have believed it, but it has now become reality. That victory at the FIP Promises Rome event proved to be the springboard for her career. Dal Pozzo’s path perfectly illustrates the purpose for which this circuit was created: to support and promote young talent. This weekend, the fourth edition of the FIP Promises Foro Italico will take place. And perhaps among the young players competing in Rome there may be more stars of the future.

 

The Italian stop will feature the Under-18 boys’ and girls’ draws. In the boys’ tournament, the spotlight will be on Matteo Quatrana and Alessandro Zaccagnino, currently ranked number one in the European Under-18 rankings. Winning the title on home soil would be the fulfilment of a dream for them, but competition will be fierce. Among the leading pairs are Leon David Ruiz Shannon and Izan Ranero Pedrero, as well as Stefano Indomenico and Pietro Giovannini. The girls’ draw also promises a high level of competition. Leading the field will be Bianca Ferretti and Emma Biagianti, while the pairs of Vittoria Fornarotto and Costanza Vanni, and Lucrezia Piernera and Vittoria Giraldi, will also be among the contenders.

 

The growing importance of the FIP Promises Tour is also confirmed by figures from the FIP Research & Data Analysis Department. A total of 160 tournaments are scheduled worldwide in 2026 (compared with 90 in 2025), including 25 in Italy. In the first half of the year alone, 4,750 boys and girls competed, while total participation by the end of the season is estimated at between 8,000 and 9,000 young talents. These figures demonstrate the continued growth of the sport and the central role of the FIP Promises Tour in developing the next generation of padel champions. As the sport awaits the next Dal Pozzo.