Bolelli-Vavassori, the golden couple of Italian tennis separates

Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori separate. At the end of the season, the golden and most solid pair of Italian tennis will no longer play on the same side of the net: after the defeat in Shanghai, beaten in the first round in a super tie-break by Austin Krajicek and Nikola Mektic, the two doubles champions announced their separation. "I think we will split up" were Bolelli's words after the match played at the Chinese Masters. A choice that would be shared, to seek new stimuli: the farewell is not immediate, because the two Italians still have an important goal to achieve: the ATP Finals, which could thus be the last great event to see them together.

According to Race, their qualification for Turin is not yet mathematical, but still highly probable given the great results achieved. In 2026 they won the title in Rotterdam and their first Masters 1000 in Miami, then repeated at the Internazionali d'Italia. The double towards farewell at the end of the season: the final goal is the Finals, while the ninth couple (the first excluded from the Finals at the moment) is the one formed by Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti, at 3,700 points. Their story began with the first matches in 2021, before becoming an official doubles pair two years later (summer 2023): the Bolognese had started the season with his friend Fabio Fognini, together in 2015 in Melbourne they won the first Slam in men's doubles for an Italian couple since Nicola Pietrangeli and Orlando Sirola's triumph at Roland Garros and won the first match for Italy at the Nitto ATP Finals. Since then the two have combined for ten titles as a couple.

In front of the Turin public, they had already reached a historic semi-final last year. In the Slams, however, they have reached three finals: two at the Australian Open (2024 and 2025) and one at Roland Garros (2024). From 2027 the paths will split: Vavassori should have already identified his next partner, the Salvadoran Marcelo Arevalo, two slam titles won and former No. 1 in doubles. Bolelli, 41, is also expected to continue playing. Meanwhile, the golden blue couple will look for the last shows together at the ATP in Vienna at 1000 in Paris and then the closing credits with the Finals and Davis.