‘Tennis & Friends Campania’ Kicks Off in Naples: Free Health Screenings and Sports Village
Naples, May 25 – The second stage of the ‘Tennis & Friends – Health and Sport’ tour, a leading event organized in collaboration with the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, dedicated to prevention and healthy lifestyles, has commenced in Naples. The event, held at the Tennis Club Napoli and along the Lungomare Caracciolo, will run until May 24th.
Inauguration Ceremony and Distinguished Guests
The inauguration ceremony of the Health & Sport Village, marked by a ribbon-cutting, officially launched the event. The ceremony was attended by institutions, representatives from the healthcare sector, and ambassadors and personalities from the world of health, sport, and entertainment. Among those present were: Professor Giorgio Meneschincheri, President and founder of Tennis&Friends; Riccardo Villari, President of the Tennis Club Napoli; Roberto Fico, President of the Campania Region; Maria Rosaria Campitiello, Head of the Department of Prevention, Research, and Health Emergencies of the Ministry of Health; Fiorella Zabatta, Councillor for Sport and Youth Policies, delegated by the President of the Campania Region Roberto Fico; Emanuela Ferrante, Councillor for Sport and Equal Opportunities of the Municipality of Naples, delegated by the Mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi; Giuseppe Quintavalle, President of FIASO; Professor Massimo Di Maio, President of AIOM; Mario Alovisi, Marketing Director of Trenitalia; Virginia Di Caterino, national councillor of FITP; Veronica Maya, godmother of the event; Marco Tardelli, 1982 World Cup champion with the Italian national team; Neri Marcoré, actor and ambassador; Sebastiano Somma, actor and ambassador; Marco Maddaloni, judoka; and journalist Myrta Merlino, moderator of the press conference.
This event is part of the official calendar for Naples European Capital of Sport 2026, reinforcing the city’s role as a reference point for initiatives promoting collective well-being.
Program: Schools and Public Access
The inaugural day followed a day dedicated to schools, where approximately a thousand local students participated in educational and recreational activities focused on health and sport. The aim was to introduce them to healthy lifestyles and allow them to experience the Sports Village firsthand, thanks to the collaboration of technicians and professionals from the sports federations present during the three-day event.
Today and tomorrow, the Health & Sport Village is officially open to the public, offering free consultations and screenings with over 30 specialists from 10 AM to 6 PM. These include: auxoendocrinology; cardiology and nephrology; uterine cervix; diabetology; psychological counseling; counseling; dermatology; laboratory diagnostics; nutritional education; physiatry; life-saving maneuvers and first aid; nutrition; ophthalmology; otolaryngology; pulmonology; melanoma prevention with dermatoscopy; plastic and reconstructive surgery; colorectal cancer prevention; lung cancer prevention (medical examination and spirometry); breast cancer prevention (medical examination and breast ultrasound); thyroid cancer prevention (medical examination and thyroid ultrasound); respiratory prevention and health; oncological prevention and screenings; rehabilitation and physiotherapy; dental screening; veterinary service; urology; HPV vaccination and others.
Numerous excellence centers from the Campania health sector are participating, including: National Cancer Institute IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Santobono Hospital – A.O.R.N. Santobono-Pausilipon, ASL Napoli 1 Centro, ASL 2 and ASL 3 of Naples, San Paolo Hospital, Ospedale del Mare, Ospedale dei Pellegrini, Santa Maria di Loreto Nuovo Hospital, San Giovanni Bosco Hospital, Santa Maria del Popolo degli Incurabili Hospital, Sanitario Napoli Est Barra Presidium, Capilupi Hospital, A.O. Universitaria Luigi Vanvitelli, A.O. di Rilievo Nazionale e di Alta Specializzazione A. Cardarelli, A.O. Universitaria Federico II – Policlinico, ASL Salerno, Riabilitazione in Campania, Centro Kidney, Centro Diagnostico Ninni Scognamiglio, Clinica Marco Moraci. Military health services will be represented by the Fire Brigade and the Guardia di Finanza.
Over 20 federations are present in the Sports Village: Italian Tennis and Padel Federation; Italian Cycling Federation; Italian Badminton Federation; Italian Canoe Kayak Federation; Italian Bocce Federation; Italian Rowing Federation; Italian Draughts Federation; Italian Sports Dance and Musical Sports Federation; Italian Handball Federation; Italian Hockey Federation; Italian Modern Pentathlon Federation; Italian Rugby Federation; Italian Fencing Federation; Italian Billiards and Bowling Sports Federation; Italian Twirling Federation; Italian Motorcycle Federation; Federkombat. Fiamme Oro and Fiamme Azzurre are also present.
The Tennis & Friends 2026 Tour Continues
Following the Naples stage, the tour will proceed to Turin from September 11th to 13th, returning to Rome at the Foro Italico from October 2nd to 4th. Finally, as Official Charity of the Nitto ATP Finals and the Davis Cup, Tennis & Friends will be in Turin from November 15th to 22nd for the Nitto ATP Finals and Bologna from November 24th to 29th for the Davis Cup Finals.
Statements from Officials
“Hosting an event of the caliber of Tennis & Friends in the year that Naples is the European Capital of Sport is a tangible demonstration of how our administration views sports practice: not just as competition or spectacle, but as a fundamental pillar of urban welfare and public health. The Lungomare Caracciolo and the Tennis Club Napoli are transformed for three days into a large preventive medicine outpost accessible to all. I thank Professor Meneschincheri and all the excellences of our healthcare system for making this extraordinary collective effort possible. Educating citizens, starting with the youngest, about healthy lifestyles and the culture of early screening is the greatest gift we can give to the future of our community,” stated Gaetano Manfredi, Mayor of Naples.
“We are proud to cut the ribbon for this second stage of the 2026 Tour, an event that virtuously combines social inclusion, passion for sport, and the right to health. The day dedicated to schools demonstrates the special attention this event reserves for young people, stimulating them to move and take care of themselves in a playful and conscious way. Combining sport with equal opportunities also means breaking down barriers to healthcare prevention, bringing precision medicine directly to the people, in our squares and in our most historic clubs. Naples once again responds with enthusiasm, confirming that sport is, first and foremost, an extraordinary generator of social well-being,” commented Emanuela Ferrante, Councillor for Sport and Equal Opportunities of the Municipality of Naples.
“Returning to Naples after years is always a source of joy. Naples is not just a stop on the tour, but confirmation that this model – bringing prevention to the public, free, accessible, without waiting lists – works and is needed. Three hundred ninety thousand check-ups in fifteen years, one million attendances: these are not balance sheet numbers, they are early diagnoses, they are people who discovered something in time. With AIOM, we have just signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on awareness and research: it is a step in the right direction, because prevention is not done alone. Being here in Naples, European Capital of Sport, means saying loudly that prevention is not a luxury for those who have time and resources – it is a right,” commented Professor Giorgio Meneschincheri, President and founder of Tennis&Friends.
“The Tennis Club Napoli supports the organization of this important event, convinced that prevention is the only weapon to defeat many pathologies. The participation of many protagonists of Campania healthcare, both public and private, and all institutions, demonstrates how the virtuous concept of many actors encourages citizens to adopt this healthy habit, which represents the best response to pathologies that, very often, can be resolved with accurate and timely prevention. I thank all the city and regional institutions that support us and all the Ambassadors who will be present and disseminate the culture of prevention, so that it becomes more and more part of the healthy habits of our fellow citizens,” declared Riccardo Villari, President of TC Napoli.
Source: https://www.positanonotizie.it/it/eventi-e-spettacoli-38/al-via-a-napoli-tennis-friends-campania-visit-173355/article
