Since I started Broken Rackets, my relationship with the city of Rome has changed. I grew up playing basketball; only in the past five years have I started playing tennis. I’ve started to enjoy Rome as a tennis city—something that I never experienced before.
In Milan, the courts get covered during the winter, but in Rome, the courts are open all year long. It feels easier to play in Rome, because there are way more tennis facilities. To me, tennis always has to be played outdoors.
One of my favorite tennis clubs in Rome is the Sant’Agnese Tennis Club,
a beautiful club surrounded by Roman ruins and greenery. It’s located 15 minutes from my family house. Now every time I drive by I think to myself, “Why didn’t I play here when I was younger?” And I get a bit frustrated because I play tennis everywhere I go in the world and I personally always research beautiful tennis courts. So knowing that one of my favorites is just so close to the house I grew up in, and me not knowing about it for all those years, makes me wish I started younger.