Italian coffee brand Lavazza has announced a historic debut as the Official Coffee of the 2026 Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, while extending all its key tennis partnerships through 2030 — with Wimbledon, Roland-Garros, the Nitto ATP Finals and ATP world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

This is not just another logo on the banners — it is a consistently built ecosystem of brand presence in the world of tennis elite, spanning four continents and more than 15 million cups of coffee served.

Rome, 11 May 2026 — a new chapter in Italian excellence


A brand that understands prestige better than anyone else has stepped onto the courts of the Foro Italico in Rome.

Lavazza, founded in Turin in 1895, is serving coffee for the first time in its history at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia — one of the most eagerly awaited tournaments on the ATP and WTA calendar. Until 17 May, fans at the Foro Italico will be able to enjoy an authentic Italian espresso experience under the banner of a brand that has accompanied the world's biggest tennis events for more than a decade.

This is no chance debut. The announcement of the new partnership coincides with the parallel extension through 2030 of all existing sporting agreements — with Wimbledon, Roland-Garros, the Nitto ATP Finals and Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 in the ATP rankings. The strategy is clear: Lavazza is not adding another sponsorship — it is building a coherent, long-term ecosystem of presence around the tennis elite.


"Lavazza and tennis are a winning partnership in the pursuit of excellence. We are proud to announce our debut at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia — an event that further enriches our already prestigious tennis portfolio" — Marco Lavazza, vice-president of the Lavazza Group.

An architecture of presence built over 15 years


The history of Lavazza in tennis began in 2011 on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

It was no accident — combining British tradition with Italian espresso culture proved a masterstroke. The brand quickly understood that tennis — like good coffee — is a sport that combines precision, elegance and emotion.

In 2015, Roland-Garros and the US Open joined the portfolio, bringing the taste of Italian espresso to the clay courts of Paris and the hard courts of New York. The year 2021 brought a partnership with the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin — a symbolic closing of the circle: a brand from Turin returns to Turin, this time as host of the most important season-ending tournament. The expansion continued: the Rolex Shanghai Masters in 2023 and the Mutua Madrid Open in 2024 confirmed the global reach of the strategy.

The sum of those years? Impressive. Over 15 years of partnership activations, more than 15 million cups of coffee have been served, and 25 million fans have been able to experience authentic Italian espresso culture live at the world's biggest tennis events.

Jannik Sinner — from No. 140 in the rankings to the face of the brand


A key element of Lavazza's tennis platform is Jannik Sinner — and here lies a story that goes far beyond standard sponsorship deals. The brand teamed up with Sinner in 2019, when he was 18 years old and ranked 140th in the ATP rankings. This was not an investment in a ready-made star — it was a belief in potential that was yet to emerge.

That story has its own drama. Lavazza accompanied Sinner through every stage — the first big tournaments, the breakthroughs, the first Grand Slam victories, all the way to the ATP world No. 1 ranking. When the contract was extended through 2030 in 2025, the brand emphasised that this was less a contract renewal than the continuation of a long-standing partnership built on shared values: passion, excellence and consistency.


"These strategic renewals, which extend our commitment to Wimbledon, Roland-Garros, the Nitto ATP Finals and our collaboration with our outstanding brand ambassador Jannik Sinner through 2030, express our confidence in relationships built on shared principles and a forward-looking vision of sports sponsorship" — Marco Lavazza, vice-president of the Lavazza Group.

Lavazza tennis sponsorship: Rome debut and a multi-year strategy


From a marketing perspective, this is a textbook case of early investment in talent: the brand invests in an athlete at an early stage of their career, and then, when the athlete becomes a global star, both sides gain from the partnership's value. Sinner as a Lavazza ambassador combines two identities — Italian quality and global recognition — making him an excellent vehicle for the brand's message in every market.


Premium strategy: why tennis and not other disciplines?


Lavazza's decision to focus on tennis is no coincidence. Tennis is a sport with global reach but a distinctly premium character — a discipline in which success is determined by precision, concentration and mastery. These are exactly the same values that the coffee brand with a century-long history communicates in its campaigns.

According to Nielsen Sports data (a 2024 report), tennis is among the sports with the highest consumer trust in sponsoring brands — reaching as much as 68% in key demographic groups. That is well above the average for mass-market disciplines. For a premium brand such as Lavazza, this means an exceptionally effective communication environment.

The Deloitte Sports Sponsorship Monitor 2025 report further indicates that long-term sponsorship contracts — lasting at least 5 years — generate a 40% higher return on investment in brand recognition than short-term contracts. In this context, Lavazza's decision to extend all its key agreements through 2030 fits the global trend in sports asset management.

The "world's café" on four continents


Internally, the brand describes its tennis activations as the "world's café". It is an apt metaphor: during each partner tournament, Lavazza becomes a point where fans from around the globe meet over authentic espresso. Wimbledon is the United Kingdom, Roland-Garros — France, the Nitto ATP Finals — Italy, the Mutua Madrid Open — Spain, the Rolex Shanghai Masters — Asia. Now Rome joins in, strengthening the Italian hub of this global café network.

Presence at the Foro Italico carries special symbolic weight. The Internazionali BNL d'Italia is one of the most important clay-court tournaments of the season — direct preparation for Roland-Garros. To serve coffee in Rome, in the shadow of the Olympic Hill, with a view of the courts where the Paris prelude is played out — it is hard to imagine a more Italian image for a brand from Turin.


"The perfect blend of Lavazza coffee and the world of tennis has deep roots going back to 2011, when the brand made its debut on the iconic courts of Wimbledon. Since then, the company's presence has expanded to the most famous tournaments around the world, fulfilling its mission of spreading authentic Italian coffee culture" — from a Lavazza Group press release, May 2026.

What does this mean for the sports sponsorship market?


Lavazza's move is also an important signal for the entire sports sponsorship market. Faced with growing fragmentation of consumer attention, premium brands are increasingly choosing a strategy of deep presence in a single sport rather than scattered sponsorship across multiple disciplines. Lavazza is a model example of this philosophy: 15 years of consistent presence in tennis, a growing tournament portfolio, a top-tier ambassador.

According to PwC Sports Industry Outlook 2025 data, global sports sponsorship spending grew in 2024 by 11% to $110 billion, and the premium segment — including golf and tennis — grew faster than the market average. Brands that have built long-term relationships with prestigious tournaments now benefit from a halo effect — positive associations with a sport that consumers see as synonymous with elegance and mastery.

For Lavazza, the coming years are an opportunity to deepen this relationship further. Agreements through 2030 give the brand planning certainty — both in terms of event activations and long-term communication with Sinner, who will be at the peak of his career during that time.

Lavazza / Lavazza Group

Founded in Turin in 1895 by Luigi Lavazza, the company has remained family-owned for four generations. Today, the Lavazza Group is one of the leading players in the global coffee market, with turnover of €3.9 billion and a presence in more than 140 markets. It has 9 production plants in 5 countries and employs thousands of people worldwide.

The brand portfolio includes well-known names: Lavazza, Carte Noire, Merrild and Kicking Horse. Every year it produces more than 30 billion cups of coffee. A fun fact: Lavazza holds dozens of industrial patents and can boast that its espresso was the first ever drunk in space. The company's mission remains unchanged: "to awaken a better world every morning".

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