The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and contested annually between teams from over 150 competing countries, making it the world's largest annual team sporting competition. It is described by the organisers as the "World Cup of Tennis" and the winners are referred to as the world champions. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Great Britain and the United States. By 2023 155 nations entered teams into the competition.
Emilio Ángel Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former doubles world No. 1 tennis player. He won five Grand Slam doubles titles and the men's doubles silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. Sánchez is the older brother of multiple Grand Slam winner Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, with whom he partnered to win the Hopman Cup in 1990. After retiring, he captained Spain to Davis Cup victory in 2008.
Adriano Panatta is an Italian former professional tennis player. He won the French Open in 1976, when he became the first Italian man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title. Panatta was also the only player ever to defeat Björn Borg at Roland Garros, doing so twice.
Nicola "Nicky" Pietrangeli is an Italian former tennis player. He won two singles titles at the French Championships and is considered by many to be one of Italy's greatest tennis champions.
Corrado Barazzutti is a former tennis player from Italy. His career-high singles ranking was World No. 7, achieved in August 1978.
Paolo Bertolucci is an Italian former professional tennis player. He is currently working as sport commentator for Italian Sky TV.
The Italy men's national tennis team represents Italy in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by the Italian Tennis Federation. Italy is the reigning champions, claiming the Davis Cup in 2024. It is three-time champions overall, also winning in 1976 and in 2023, and finishing as runners-up six times. Nicola Pietrangeli is one of Italy's most decorated players, featuring in all major records for the team. He holds the record for most Davis Cup ties, most overall wins, most singles wins, most doubles wins, and most years played.
Simone Bolelli is an Italian professional tennis player. Bolelli is a Davis Cup and Grand Slam champion, having won the 2015 Australian Open doubles event with Fabio Fognini, together becoming the first male all-Italian pair to win a Major title in the Open Era. He has a career-high ATP ranking in doubles of World No. 8 achieved on 17 August 2015 and in singles of World No. 36 achieved on 23 February 2009. He was part of the team winning the 2023 and the 2024 Davis Cups. He won the bronze medal in the 2005 Mediterranean Games.
Gianni Ocleppo is a retired Italian tennis player.
Claudio Panatta is an Italian former tennis player and younger brother of 1976 French Open champion Adriano Panatta.
Cristian Brandi is a former professional tennis player from Italy.
Aljaž Bedene is a Slovenian former professional tennis player. He was ranked as high as No. 43 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which he achieved in February 2018. He reached four singles finals on the ATP Tour as well as the third round at three of the four Grand Slam tournaments. He also attained his career-high ranking of No. 127 in doubles in October 2013. Between 2015 and 2017, Bedene represented Great Britain after becoming a naturalised Briton before he returned to represent Slovenia in 2018.
The 1977 Italian Open was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament that was played by men on outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. The men's tournament was part of the Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix circuit while the women's tournament was part of the Colgate Series. The tournament was held from 16 May through 22 May 1977. The singles titles were won by eight-seeded Vitas Gerulaitis and fifth-seeded Janet Newberry who earned $21,000 and $6,000 first-prize money respectively. Gerulaitis competed despite being contracted to play for the Indiana Loves World Team Tennis (WTT) franchise and was fined $19,000 for failing to play Björn Borg in the weekend of the final.
Viktor Galović is a former Croatian tennis player. Galović has a career high ATP singles ranking of 173, achieved on 14 May 2018. Galović had previously represented Italy where he was raised but in 2014 switched back to his home country of Croatia.
Jan Norbäck is a Swedish former professional tennis player.
Ezio Di Matteo is a former professional tennis player from Italy.
The Men's singles tournament of the 1977 Italian Open tennis championships took place in Rome between 16 May and 1 July 1977. 64 players from 19 countries competed in the 6-round tournament. The final winner was Vitas Gerulaitis of the US, who defeated Antonio Zugarelli of Italy. The defending champion from 1976, Adriano Panatta of Italy, was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Gerulaitis.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto is an Italian professional tennis player. She has been ranked by the WTA as high as No. 29 in singles, achieved on 21 August 2023, and No. 141 in doubles, which she attained on 14 October 2024. Cocciaretto made her debut for the Italy Fed Cup team in 2018. She was a member of the Italian squad which won the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup.
Jannik Sinner is an Italian professional tennis player. He is ranked as world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the first Italian to reach the top ranking. Sinner has won 18 singles titles on the ATP Tour, including two majors at the 2024 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open, as well as four Masters 1000 titles and the 2024 ATP Finals. He has also led Italy to the 2023 and 2024 Davis Cup crowns.
The 1978 Belgian International Championships was a men's tennis tournament staged at the Leopold Club in Brussels, Belgium that was part of the Grand Prix circuit. The tournament was played on outdoor clay courts and was held from 12 June until 18 June 1978. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and unseeded Werner Zirngibl, who entered the competition as a qualifier, won the singles title.
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