SPC Cervia Cup 2026: Inside Our Tennis Event in Italy!
A tennis event in Italy was always something we dreamed about when building SportsProsConnect.
Ever since we started developing a platform for the global racket sports community, one thing has stayed constant: we’ve always continued to evolve. In sport and business, you cannot stand still for long before somebody overtakes you.
Over the years, SPC has grown into an international tennis jobs platform, but alongside that we’ve explored sponsorships, conferences, networking events, and new ways to connect people through tennis. One of those connections eventually led us to Cervia, Italy.
A few years ago, I connected with Marco Isidro, General Manager of the Fantini Club Hotel in Cervia. Initially, the idea was simple. Marco wanted help promoting the hotel to a different audience through the SPC network.
What immediately stood out was that sport is part of everyday life in Cervia; during one of our visits there were beach tennis, volleyball, cycling, and tennis events all happening at the same time. The whole area lives and breathes sport.
Fast forward a few years, and suddenly myself and Marco were standing in Cervia organising a tennis event of our own!
From Tournament Idea to Team Competition
The original concept started as a traditional seniors tennis tournament with Over 35 and Over 45 categories.
Over time though, the format evolved into something much more social and team-driven, with a Ryder Cup or Laver Cup-style atmosphere.
Eventually we settled on: Rest of the World vs Italy.
Our “Rest of the World” side included players from the UK and Ireland alongside an international mix of Italians, Indians, Americans, and even a Bosnian.
The event officially began on Tuesday 12th May, with players arriving throughout the day before gathering together at the hotel for dinner.
The evening finished with a light training session led by coach Joseph, alongside racket testing with Fabrizio Caldarone from Mantis, who kindly sponsored the event and supplied the tennis balls. A few players enjoyed the rackets so much they even bought them afterwards.
After a couple of hours on court, everybody headed off for an early night ahead of the first proper training day.
Training Days, Team Spirit & A Potential Italian Spy…
Wednesday became our official training day.
Coach Joseph put the group through a series of heavy drills in the morning designed to prepare everyone for the matches ahead. These drills were great fun and had some of the team struggling more than others, however all were enjoyed and were done for the purpose of getting ready for the battle ahead. Where some were struggling, others decided it was a good idea to get in some more match play where we tested some team combinations.
The final session of the day brought an interesting twist when one of the Italian opposition joined the practice. Some suggested he was simply enjoying his tennis. Others claimed he was there as a spy gathering tactical information.. we’ll let you decide….!
The evening finished in traditional style with pizza for some players and light refreshments back at the hotel for others.
Match Day Begins
Thursday was the first official match day.
Because many of the Italian players were working during the daytime, matches took place during the evening from 5pm to 10pm.
The format included:
▪️ Singles
▪️ Men’s doubles
▪️ Ladies doubles
▪️ Mixed doubles
Matches were played using a Fast 4 format over the best of three sets, with a 10-point tie-break deciding matches at one set all.
Every set counted towards the overall team score, helping create a really competitive atmosphere across the evening.
After the opening day, the Rest of the World team held a narrow 14-13 lead over Italy.
There were excellent performances across the board, but Rohit was undoubtedly the player of the day, winning both of his singles matches in style.
Rain, Soup & Table Football Championships
As it happens, rain hampered the rest of the trip after the morning training session on Friday, so there was no more matches played on either Friday night or during the day on Saturday.
We had taken the first ever SPC Cervia Cup with a 14-13 win! I am proud of each and every one of our players!
As we had rain Friday afternoon / evening, it did allow competitive juices to flow in other ways… Back at the hotel Table Football took over and Chiara, who had lived near the area in Cervia had home town advantage on the table football and destroyed all challengers.
That evening many of us ventured into town to sample the delights of Italian fish. The meal was fantastic. Beautifully organised by Davide who took the home language to another level and ordered fish for all… But highlight of the evening has to go to Joseph who ordered his soup as a starter and was still eating two hours later! I am not sure if he has even fully recovered now! And we do have video evidence of Joe’s soup eating!
One Final Tournament Before Home
Saturday morning brought optimism that matches could continue, but the outdoor clay courts were still covered in puddles. Thankfully, the club gave us access to indoor courts, allowing us to organise a final “Rest of the World” social tournament.
With seven men and three women participating, Ben and Amit volunteered to become honorary women for the day to balance the teams.
The fast-paced format involved rotating partners and quick-fire games, creating plenty of laughs and surprisingly competitive moments. Amit became the unofficial “leading lady” of the event, although the official women’s prize eventually went to Claudia instead.
The men’s title was won by Alen, with John finishing runner-up.
One of the shots of the day came from Flavia, who produced a brilliant winner to beat coach Joe.
Fantini Club Dinner & Looking Ahead
Saturday evening finished with a fantastic dinner hosted by Marco at the Fantini Club.
Players, families, guests, and even dogs attended the evening, which perfectly captured the atmosphere we had hoped to create throughout the week.
At the end of the meal, players received certificates, JOMA vouchers, and mystery joke prizes during a small presentation ceremony.
Sadly, Chiara had already left Cervia earlier that day and missed collecting her mystery prize.
Sunday became departure day, filled with goodbyes and plenty of “see you next year” conversations.
Some players staying later even attended a local ATP event nearby, helping us make exciting new connections for future editions of the tournament.
Already Planning Next Year…
Looking back, the week was everything we hoped it would be.
Great tennis. Great people. Fantastic hospitality from the Fantini Club Hotel. And most importantly, an atmosphere that players genuinely enjoyed being part of.
At this stage, every single guest has said they would return next year, which tells you everything you need to know.
We’re already working on dates for the next SPC Cervia Cup and can’t wait to do it all again.
See you on court soon,
