MILAN/STARNBERG, June 27, 2025
You could sense it over the past few days—something had changed. Walking through the paths and facilities of the ASPRIA Harbour Club in Milan, Marco Cecchinato appeared relaxed, calm, and smiling in a way he hadn’t been in quite some time. And behind that newfound serenity, he was quietly building toward a result that even he, by his own admission, hadn’t expected: a spot in the final of the ASPRIA Tennis Cup – Trofeo BCS. It’s the 17th ATP Challenger Tour final of his career, and his first since Rio de Janeiro 2022.
The turning point may very well be linked to a familiar face: for the first time in a while, Cecchinato is back working with his uncle Francesco Palpacelli, the man who first put a tennis racket in his hand. “I started the year with a different coach, but things didn’t go well,” he explained. “Now Francesco will be with me through the end of the year, working alongside Max Sartori in Vicenza.” The final marks a special kind of homecoming. Palpacelli was also with him nine years ago when Cecchinato won the tournament. And he’ll be by his side again as he faces rising Croatian star Dino Prizmic in the final.
“I honestly didn’t expect this,” said Cecchinato, “even though Milan always feels like home to me. Carlo Alagna and Massimo Lacarbonara treat me so well—it’s thanks to them that I’m here with a wild card.” But there’s no doubt Cecchinato has been putting in the work. “Lately I’ve been training hard, playing solid matches against strong opponents. I’d say I’m playing some good tennis here in Milan—especially beating left-handed players, which have historically been a tough matchup for me.”
A second career
Cecchinato says he’s “playing good tennis” almost in a whisper, with the quiet humility of someone trying to rebuild. Against teenage sensation Jacopo Vasami, he only faced real resistance in the second game, where he saved a break point in a 14-point battle. Cecchinato prevailed 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 30 minutes.
First final of the season ✅
Marco Cecchinato overcomes fellow Italian Vasami 6-3, 6-3 to secure a title match spot in Milan!#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/I2hH8Wxygk
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) June 27, 2025
He let out a roar after the final point, a cathartic release. “My cousin is brainwashing me—in a good way,” he joked. “I have to forget the past and treat this like a second career. Every win should be a reason to smile, and today I was really happy. That’s the foundation—being ready to fight for every match, especially against players I used to beat more easily, but who now require a very high level to overcome.”
Even in the little things, Cecchinato has changed: “After every match, I practice for 20 more minutes. My cousin is helping me feel the same sensations I had as a kid. I’ve rediscovered my passion for tennis—something that had been missing lately.”
“Francesco is like a brother”
Cecchinato turns 33 in September, but he now exudes a calm, almost contagious energy—like someone who has shed the burdens of his younger self. “My biggest strength right now is the willingness to start over. It’s a personal challenge because I already achieved all the dreams I had as a kid: breaking into the top 100, becoming Italy’s No.1, playing all the Slams… In terms of those childhood goals, I’ve done a lot. Now I’ve found the passion again. I had lost that after falling out of the top 100.”
Palpacelli has been central in this emotional and professional revival. “Francesco is like a brother to me,” Cecchinato said. “I also want to mention Max Sartori, who has supported me throughout my career, and my new fitness coach Luca Franco—he really cares. But Francesco means so much to me, and I feel a sense of responsibility toward him too.”
As for Vasami, Cecchinato showed his class with a kind word after their match. “I told him he’s got a great future. Sure, he needs to work on his technical and tactical game, but I don’t want to judge too much after just one match. Still, he’s got an effortless game, he’s left-handed, he’s got a big serve… if he works hard with his team, we’re looking at a huge talent who’ll be playing at high levels.”
Prizmic’s relentless streak
To claim his eighth Challenger title, Cecchinato will have to get past the tournament’s most in-form player: Dino Prizmic. The Croatian has now won 14 consecutive matches and is aiming for his third straight title after victories in Zagreb and Bratislava. In the second semifinal, he needed two hours and 35 minutes to outlast Rafael Jodar, coming back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Prizmic powers through
No.1 seed completes the comeback with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Jodar to advance to the Milan final!#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/2NZyWQmAe2
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) June 27, 2025
Jodar had prepared thoroughly and surprised Prizmic with an aggressive strategy that earned him the opening set. Even as the Croatian found his rhythm, Jodar refused to fold: trailing 5-1 in the second set, he closed the gap to 5-3 and even had a break point for 5-4. In the third, he continued to fight for every point, pushing Prizmic to display his full arsenal of grit and determination.
If Prizmic wins the final, he will become the first Croatian to win the ASPRIA Tennis Cup. Italy, on the other hand, already boasts four titles: Alessio Di Mauro, Filippo Volandri, Marco Cecchinato, and Gian Marco Moroni.
