Italy to fore as Calvelli takes top ATP job

Italy’s status as the ATP Tour’s new centre of gravity will soon be underlined by the appointment of Massimo Calvelli as the organisation’s chief executive, The Daily Telegraph understands.

Calvelli has been in charge of Nike’s tennis marketing since 2014, which means he has negotiated deals with the likes of Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. He is also a close friend of Andrea Gaudenzi, another London-based Italian who is the ATP’S new chairman. Traditionally, the ATP has combined the roles of chairman and chief executive – the most recent incumbent being Englishman Chris Kermode. But an influential faction on the ATP player council – which is chaired by Novak Djokovic – staged a rebellion against Kermode’s regime in the spring, and he will leave on Dec 31.

Calvelli, 45, was born in Tuscany. He had a minor career as a singles player on the Challenger tour, reaching a high point of No 255 in the world in 1995. Since then, he has worked for racket manufacturers Wilson, and now for Nike, and is well regarded as a tough but ethical negotiator. With the ATP’S two established properties – the ATP Finals and the Next Gen ATP Finals – being played in Turin and Milan respectively from 2021 onwards, it feels as though Kermode’s departure could mark a shift in the organisation to a more European model.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon’s operations director, Sally Bolton, is the favourite to succeed chief executive Richard Lewis when he retires next year.