On Sunday Italy lost one of their most prestigious figures in the world of tennis as the likes of Rafael Nadal paid their respects.
Cino Marchese passed away at the age of 81 whilst watching a Formula One race on TV. A talent scout, marketer and tournament director, he established himself as a highly respected figure in the sport. During the 1980s Marchese helped revive the Italian Open. As tournament director, he created the VIP village in Rome and was known fondly as the ‘mayor’ of it. According to the ATP, he generated $500,000 in revenue for the Italian Open in 1982 after selling three hospitality tents for $5000 each, which hosted up to 3000 people.
Shocked to hear of Cino Marchese’s death. The white haired giant saved the Italian Open by turning the Foro Italico into a place of joy & laughter. His hospitality & generosity was boundless. It was also best not to be in the kitchen with him when he was making spaghetti. RIP
— Richard Ingham Evans (@Ringham7) 18 March 2019
Marchese also served as the tournament chief of ATP events in Milan and Palermo. Overseeing the Milan tie-break ‘shootout’ events, which was attended by some of the biggest names of the sport. Including Yannick Noah, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl and Sergi Bruguera in the 1991 edition. Brugera won the tournament and $200,000 in prize money. For the inaugural edition of the Palmero Open in 1979, he managed to get Bjorn Borg to participate.
“In those days friendship was worth more than a thousand contracts. And I was a friend of his. For the first edition I asked him to be there.“ He once told website Palermo Today about Bjorg’s appearance.
You meet people along the way that make an impression Cino Marchese was one of those. Old school IMG manager, promoter, personality, a real tennis man. #RIP
— Todd Woodbridge (@toddwoodbridge) March 18, 2019
As a agent, he assisted in the careers of Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati, Goran Ivanisevic, Adriano Panatta, Paolo Bertolucci and others. His clients also included three-time Olympic skiing champion Alberto Tomba and Italian football star Roberto Baggio.
Nicknamed ‘The Silver Fox’ due to the white-silver hair he had since his thirties, he is remembered for cooking pasta during some of his tournaments and then inviting all the players for a meal.
Another role Marchese held was the head of Italian operations for the International Management Group (IMG) for more than 25 years. A position that involving sports such as skiing, tennis, football and basketball. He also organised the 1985 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Bormio.
Marchese’s funeral takes place today (Wednesday). He is survived by his wife, Gabriella.
