Binaghi Asks for Free-to-Air Coverage: "A Semifinal for All Italians"

Angelo Binaghi, president of the FITP, has made a public appeal to Eurosport to broadcast on free-to-air television the Roland Garros semifinal between Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi, scheduled for Friday, June 5. "I believe that, with a Slam semifinal featuring two Italian players, it is important to make every possible effort to allow all fans to follow it on free-to-air television as well," he stated.

The match is a historic first: never before had two Italians faced each other in a Slam semifinal in the Open era. Cobolli got there by beating Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, while Arnaldi defeated Matteo Berrettini, who was forced to retire in the second set at 7-5, 5-2 due to a hip problem. The tournament's rights in Italy belong exclusively to Eurosport, part of the Warner Bros. Discovery group, and the match is set to be available only on pay platforms.

In his appeal, Binaghi insisted on the non-commercial value of the move: "This is not a commercial opportunity, but a chance to further support the growth of tennis in our country." The federation president described the Italian movement as a national sporting asset capable of engaging millions of people well beyond the usual audience of subscribers.

The request reopens a debate that resurfaces with every great achievement of Italian tennis: the one between pay-TV exclusivity and free access to the moments that become collective events. Warner Bros. Discovery, according to reports, is considering the possibility of opening up the broadcast on free-to-air television. No official confirmation had arrived at the time of the appeal, but the pressure, with two Italians one step away from the Paris final, is bound to grow until the day of the match.