Nitto ATP Finals: A Celebration of Tennis Excellence and Inclusivity

Nitto ATP Finals: A Celebration of Tennis Excellence and Inclusivity to Fashion with a Purpose
By Luce Martini

Torino, Nitto ATP Finals 2024 – Since their move to Turin in 2021, the Nitto ATP Finals have stood as a premier showcase of world-class tennis, bringing together the sport’s elite in an electrifying competition. However, the tournament’s commitment goes beyond the court, embracing inclusivity by incorporating wheelchair tennis exhibitions into its programme. These exhibitions are not mere side events; they are an integral part of the Finals, aimed at raising awareness about adaptive sports and highlighting the exceptional talents of wheelchair tennis athletes.

In 2023, this commitment was exemplified through a thrilling exhibition featuring top-ranked players Gordon Reid and Martín de la Puente. Their presence not only brought attention to the discipline but also captivated audiences, emphasizing the vital role of accessibility in sports. Building on this momentum, the 2024 edition further expanded its scope, hosting a wheelchair tennis exhibition on the practice court at the Inalpi Arena. Athletes like Luca Paiardi, Hegor Di Gioia, Maria Vietti, and promising young players Lorenzo Politanò and Andrea Roccamo showcased their skills, reinforcing the Finals’ mission to promote inclusivity.

Maria Vietti: A Rising Star in Wheelchair Tennis

One of the standout athletes in the 2024 wheelchair tennis exhibition was Maria Vietti, a 34-year-old Italian player whose journey exemplifies resilience and ambition. Despite being relatively new to the sport, Maria has already made significant strides, reaching ITD position 96. Her participation in tournaments like the BTA Wheelchair Open and the Sardinia Open International has demonstrated her potential to make a lasting mark in the sport.

Maria is not just an athlete; she is also an accomplished academic. A graduate in Physiotherapy, she is pursuing a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Turin. As part of the Dual Career programme, Maria skillfully balances the rigours of competitive sports with academic pursuits, embodying the values of perseverance and dedication.

Interviewing Maria Vietti: A Focus on Fashion and Representation

The decision to interview Maria Vietti was motivated by her unique perspective as both a rising talent in adaptive sports and an advocate for inclusivity.

Rather than a purely technical discussion of tennis, the interview explored broader themes such as sponsorship challenges, representation in sports and fashion, and the specific needs of adaptive athletes. Here is the full transcript of the interview:

Q: We’ll talk about tennis, but not exactly from a technical standpoint, more about what’s becoming fashionable. So, I’m asking if you have a favorite sports brand.
A: “Well, my favorite brand is Wilson. They’re also giving me some sponsorship support, you know, it’s a brand that’s really associated with the Williams sisters, especially Serena who has always been my idol, so I’m really attached to it, yeah.“

Q: That was another one of my questions about who your favorite player is. Is it easy to find a sponsor?
A: “No, absolutely not, in adaptive sports there’s still quite a bit of resistance, so to speak, compared to abroad where there’s a bit more availability from this standpoint. In Italy, yeah, it’s hard to find one, you need to have a project, you need to have ambitious goals to get support, but it’s not impossible.”

Q: Related to this, is there anything you would like to see in the future from brands, maybe they’re lacking in some respects, have you noticed any areas for improvement?
A: “Yes, at a high level I have two pieces of advice mainly for companies that deal with fashion. The first is to possibly create clothing lines that can include adjustments for people with different needs, so for those who might have problems or disabilities affecting their hands, like zippers, closures, all these things here would be very interesting, and to make these clothes accessible in terms of cost. The other thing is to always leave space on their websites, on their social profiles for images that reflect disability, because that’s the only real way to raise awareness, because typically a person who visits a fashion site doesn’t deal with a person with disabilities, in that way you could obviously reach a much larger audience, so Dior is already doing it, many high-fashion brands are doing it, I hope that this becomes a common thing.”

Q: Your racket is beautiful, I want to know if the rackets are special?
A: “No, actually we do everything exactly like the able-bodied, our rackets and balls are just like those used by everyone else, mine is a Babolat with a pink color and soon I’ll have to change it because obviously like everyone we adapt a bit to improvements, just as you do with a wheelchair, you customize, the same is done with the equipment we play with, so no, they don’t have any special features.”

Q: So yours isn’t custom made?
A: “No, mine isn’t custom made, but I rely on a very skilled stringer named Andrea Candusso, here in Turin [National Technician of the Italian Tennis Federation (FITP), has collaborated with many high-level professional players, including Jannik Sinner, Lorenzo Sonego, and Albert Ramos Vinolas], who adjusts the weight of the strings, because that’s the real ‘custom made’ part of a racket.”

A Vision for Inclusivity in Sports

Maria Vietti’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of sports and education. Her advocacy for adaptive clothing lines and broader representation of disability in fashion highlights her commitment to creating a more inclusive world. While her career in wheelchair tennis is still young, her potential and drive make her a compelling figure in the sport.

As the Nitto ATP Finals continue to champion inclusivity through initiatives like the wheelchair tennis exhibitions, athletes like Maria Vietti serve as inspiring role models. Their stories not only enrich the world of sports but also challenge societal norms, paving the way for a more accessible and equitable future.