
There are two valuable lessons that stand out to Francesco Passaro when he reflects on making his Top 100 debut in Monday’s PIF ATP Rankings. The 24-year-old described his latest achievement as a “dream come true”, but the road to get here was marked by patience and a shift in mindset from his hot-tempered junior days.
In February 2023, the Italian was on the verge of entering that elite group as World No. 108. He was just three months removed from competing at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, which showcases the world’s best 20-and-under players (Prior to 2024, it was 21-and-under).
Born the same year as countrymen Jannik Sinner and Matteo Arnaldi (2001), it seemed Passaro was the next fast-rising Italian star to skyrocket through the PIF ATP Rankings. But Passaro slipped as low as No. 214 that season, providing a teaching moment and forcing him to wait for that coveted Top 100 debut.
“I was just looking at the points and the ranking. It’s not healthy to do because you have to think about progress, improving your game and also improving outside the court,” Passaro shared with ATPTour.com. “Now I’m more focused on things outside the points and the ranking.”
A three-time ATP Challenger Tour champion, Passaro was a lucky loser at this year’s Australian Open, marking his first major main-draw appearance. Fittingly, Passaro entered Melbourne as World No. 108 — the same ranking he held when he almost cracked the Top 100 in 2023. The Perugia native led Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 2-1 in the opening round when the Bulgarian was forced to retire due to injury.
Passaro can now safely check his place in the PIF ATP Rankings and find himself at a career-high No. 90.
“That year [2023], I was feeling a lot of pressure from my side, not the outside. I was just waiting for myself to grow quickly,” Passaro added. “Maybe I was needing more time to be more professional. Maybe also the mental part. I was not ready to break the Top 100 and play against big players.”
The past 12 months, Passaro has proved that he is more than capable of being a Top 100 player. In May, he won his biggest career title at the ATP Challenger Tour 175 event in Turin. As a wild card, Passaro became the first player since 2009 (Robin Soderling, Sunrise CH) to oust five Top 100 players en route to a Challenger trophy. He defeated Lorenzo Musetti in an all-Italian final on home soil.
Francesco Passaro celebrates winning the 2024 Turin Challenger. Credit: Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour
Passaro arrived in Turin following a third-round run as a qualifier at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome, where he beat three Top 100 players. In fact, that standout result at the Foro Italico had Passaro thinking about skipping the Turin Challenger — until he had a conversation with Italian Tennis Federation coach Mosè Navarra.
“Me and my coach [Roberto Tarpani] were saying maybe it’s better to go back home and practise a bit,” Passaro said. “But [Mosè] told me, ‘You have to go because you are playing good, feeling good, you have the chance to play these kind of matches against great players!’”
It was a good decision indeed. In the span of two weeks, Passaro went from World No. 240 to No. 134.
“I was feeling amazing. I was playing unbelievable. Every ball that I was hitting was going inside and full power. I was surprised at my game,” said Passaro, who also won the Genoa Challenger in September.
Passaro’s journey to where he is today began when he first picked up a racquet aged six. He has been under the same coach, Tarpani, since he was 10 years old.
As a junior, Passaro was hot-headed. But Tarpani has played a pivotal role in helping Passaro develop greater composure on court.
“My head was like fire,” Passaro said. “I was throwing the racquet. He told me to go out a lot of times from the court, like quitting the practice during the practice. Those things helped me to understand the lesson — If I was trying to play, I have to be more respectful with the opponent, the coach and the other guy I’m practising with. It helped me.”
Passaro now looks back on those early days with a smile, expressing deep gratitude for Tarpani’s unwavering support.
“He had a lot of patience. Maybe sometimes that was not easy for him,” Passaro said. “Also because maybe I was playing matches and then I was quitting, maybe because I missed some balls or the opponent was doing crazy things so I went crazy. Maybe I was hitting all the balls out, not caring.
“So he had a lot of patience with me. The journey was not easy but now he’s brought the fruit from the tree. It’s a good thing for both and I like to have this achievement together. Hopefully we can have more together.”