Gaudenzi's right-hand man leaves the ATP: Are things changing?

Carlos Navarro | 4 Apr 2025 | 15.43

Massimo Calvelli held the position of ATP CEO for five years. Source: Getty

Streaming M25 Uriage live tennis

🎾 Tristan Berard vs Andrea Brignacca

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

The tennis ecosystem is experiencing times of change. Tides that threaten to take down everything built up to this point, no matter how strong its foundations are. The players' pressure, embodied in elements like the complaint from the PTPA or the formal letter from the top 20 of the women's and men's circuit, is starting to bring about adjustments and generate a sense of volatility in entities like ATP, WTA, or Grand Slams. Changes that seem to have reached even the very top of the men's circuit, led by Andrea Gaudenzi.

Today, the ATP announced the departure of Massimo Calvelli. Perhaps not many know this name, but he has been the CEO of ATP for over five years. Calvelli took on this role in January 2020, just before the start of the pandemic, and has unconditionally supported Gaudenzi since the beginning of his tenure, being practically his right-hand man and shaping many of ATP's projects in recent seasons.

Calvelli's main contribution during his time at ATP was the One Vision strategic plan, an initiative that promised to permanently change the tennis ecosystem and encompassed most of the changes in the men's circuit in recent years. Gaudenzi and Calvelli refined this strategy and extended the duration of the Masters 1000, further overloaded the calendar, increased players' prize money, altered the commercial strategy, aligning with WTA on many strategies, and regarding streaming... ultimately laid the foundations of what ATP is today... and what ATP will be in the future.

AND NOW, WHAT NEXT?

Following the announcement of Calvelli's departure, the ATP statement asserts that Andrea Gaudenzi himself will temporarily assume the role of CEO of the company. All this, of course, alongside his role as President, an unprecedented accumulation of powers whose duration remains to be seen. Moreover, it will be interesting to see if Calvelli's replacement also speaks Italian: many dissenting voices with ATP pointed out the excessive influence of the Italian country, occupying many positions of power and making decisions that align with the interests of their compatriots. Are these voices the ones that triggered Calvelli's departure? Is a change in the ATP leadership about to take place and is this just the first step? Many unanswered questions that will be resolved in the coming months and years. Meanwhile... the show in the offices seems to be unfolding.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La mano derecha de Gaudenzi se marcha de la ATP: ¿están cambiando las cosas?

Andrea Gaudenzi