On the hill of Borghetto San Nicolò, a couple of kilometres from the sea, stands one of the best-known tennis centres in Europe: the Piatti Tennis Center, the academy founded by Riccardo Piatti, the coach who has worked with champions such as Ivan Ljubičić, Novak Djoković and Jannik Sinner. Professional players from the ATP and WTA tours train here, along with young players who dream of joining them.
It is today’s version of a story that began in 1878, when the English founded the Bordighera Lawn Tennis Club here, the oldest tennis club in Italy. Between the 19th-century club and the modern academy, Bordighera has become a true tennis town.
Riccardo Piatti and the birth of the centre
Riccardo Piatti was born in Como in 1958 and became a tennis coach in 1982. In a forty-year career he has coached players such as Ivan Ljubičić, who reached world number 3, Richard Gasquet, Milos Raonic and Borna Ćorić, and has worked with Novak Djoković. He had been living and working in Bordighera for years, training on the clay courts of the Lawn Tennis Club.
In 2018 he opened his academy here: the Piatti Tennis Center was officially inaugurated on 12 April 2018, after a few months of activity. Piatti’s idea was to create an open place, “a home for all tennis players”, where professionals could prepare, young talent could grow and coaches from other clubs could work together.
The centre where Jannik Sinner grew up
The name of the Piatti Tennis Center is linked above all to Jannik Sinner. At fourteen the young South Tyrolean left the Val Pusteria and moved to Bordighera to train with Riccardo Piatti: first on the courts of the Lawn Tennis Club, then at the new centre. Here he turned professional and won his first ATP titles, working with Piatti until February 2022.
Over the years the centre has hosted many other tour players, including Borna Ćorić and, for some training sessions, Maria Sharapova.
The centre today
The Piatti Tennis Center is open all year round. It has four hard courts, the fast surface of the big hard-court tournaments, two of them covered by a permanent structure and all floodlit for evening play. Thanks to an agreement with the Bordighera Lawn Tennis Club, five minutes away, the athletes also use the club’s clay courts.
Around the courts is everything a professional player needs: gyms, a sauna, a recovery pool, a video analysis room, a medical room, and a team of coaches, fitness trainers, physiotherapists and mental coaching specialists. The courts are equipped with a camera system to analyse strokes and matches. Next to the centre is also the Club House, with a hotel and restaurant, designed for those who come to train.
As well as programmes for resident athletes, the centre offers consultations for players and coaches who come for shorter periods, summer camps and activities for young people and adults. To find out what is available during your stay, contact the centre directly.
Tips for tennis lovers
- To play or train: the Piatti Tennis Center is a training centre, not a club with courts for hire. For lessons, camps and availability, write to or call the centre (info@piattitenniscenter.it, tel. +39 0184 253538) or visit the official website.
- For a game on holiday: the clay courts of the Bordighera Lawn Tennis Club, in the quarter of the English villas, can also be booked by non-members, on the club’s terms.
- Getting there: the centre is in Viale Canariensis, in the hamlet of Borghetto San Nicolò, above the town. It is easiest to get there by car; Nice is about 45 minutes away and Monaco 20.
- Combine it with: a walk among the villas of the Via Romana and in the English quarter, with the former Anglican church and the Giardini Lowe, where the story of tennis in Bordighera began. For more sporty ideas, see our active holiday page.
- Keep your eyes open: if you are in the area, it is not unusual to see world-famous champions training.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Piatti Tennis Center?
At Viale Canariensis 7, in the hamlet of Borghetto San Nicolò, on the hill behind Bordighera.
Did Jannik Sinner train in Bordighera?
Yes. He moved to Bordighera at fourteen to train with Riccardo Piatti, first at the Lawn Tennis Club and then at the Piatti Tennis Center, where he worked until February 2022.
Can you visit the centre?
It is a private training centre, not a place to visit. For courses, camps or consultations, contact the centre directly.
What courts does it have?
Four hard courts, two of them covered, and access to two clay courts at the Bordighera Lawn Tennis Club.
When did it open?
The centre was inaugurated on 12 April 2018 by Riccardo Piatti.
Where can you stay near the centre?
The centre has its own Club House, with a hotel and restaurant: contact the centre for availability and rates.
