Italian tennis has been on arguably its most successful run over the last few years. Leading the march is World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, with four Grand Slam titles and the last five Masters 1000 crowns. There are four Italians in the top 20 of the men’s world rankings. On the women’s side, Jasmine Paolini is ranked eighth, with a career-high of No. 4. She reached the singles final at both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, tasting title success at WTA 1000 level at Dubai (2024) and Rome (2025).Italy has won the Davis Cup for the last three years and the women’s equivalent, the Billie Jean King Cup, for the last two years. This dominant run has prompted calls to recognise the Italian Open, already a prestigious clay tournament, as a fifth Grand Slam.What is a Grand Slam?The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open are considered a notch above regular tour events. They are jointly called Grand Slam tournaments. The number of titles at these competitions is often considered in debates over the greatest player of an era, or even of all time.Why this special treatment?In the initial decades of tennis’ emergence as a global sport, Australia, France, Britain and the US were the dominant forces. These four countries had a stranglehold on the Davis Cup, a tournament that began in 1900. It was only as recently as 1974 that a fifth country got its hands on the silverware — when South Africa was declared the winner after India refused to play the final to protest apartheid.This period of dominance, lasting three-quarters of a century, prompted the national championships of the four countries to be termed Grand Slam tournaments.What’s the origin of the term?In the card game of bridge, winning all 13 tricks is considered a Grand Slam. It was first adopted in golf in the 1930s, when winning the US Open, US Amateur, Open Championship and British Amateur in the same calendar year was said to constitute the Grand Slam. Subsequently, the golfing majors were considered to be the Masters, US Open, Open Championship and the PGA Championship. The term made its way into tennis in 1933.What’s behind the demand for the Italian Open as the fifth Grand Slam?Italian tennis and padel federation chief Angelo Binaghi says his country’s current dominance — both on the tours as well as team events — warrants its biggest tournament being considered a Grand Slam.Story continues below this adThere have been rumblings among top players about prize money and revenue sharing at the Grand Slams — especially the French Open — and potential boycotts have also been mentioned. The Italian Open is siding with the star players on these issues.“It’s shameful and creates competitive disparities too, because the four nations [that organize the Slams] have a huge amount of money to invest in their technical sectors that other nations don’t have,” Binaghi has been quoted as saying.The Indian Wells tournament is also often referred to as the unofficial fifth Grand Slam and, along with the event in Miami, enjoys great prestige. The Italian Open may wish to be treated on a par with these. It’s even open to holding an Italian Grand Slam away from its traditional venue — Rome’s Foro Italico — and on any surface.“We’re open to organising a [fifth Grand Slam] anywhere in Italy, on any surface,” Binaghi said. “If we’re going to aim big, we shouldn’t focus exclusively on the Foro Italico.”Story continues below this adAre the original ‘big four’ still dominant?On-court dominance is said to be the foundation of the special status of the current Grand Slams. But these countries have fallen away in recent times.Australia last won the Davis Cup in 2003 and the Federation Cup in 1974. Their last Grand Slam singles champion came in 2022 (Ashleigh Barty).France last won the Davis Cup in 2017, their first title since 2001. They last won the Billie Jean King Cup in 2019. In Grand Slams, one has to go back to 1983 when a Frenchman (Yannik Noah) won a Major. Marion Bartoli won Wimbledon in 2013.Britain’s 2015 Davis Cup triumph was their first since 1936. Their women have never been team champions. Before Andy Murray’s three Grand Slam titles – the last one being at 2016 Wimbledon — the fallow period stretched back to 1936. Emma Raducanu’s success at the 2021 US Open was the first for a British woman since Virginia Wade triumphing at Wimbledon 1977.Story continues below this adThe US’s last Davis Cup triumph came in 2007 while their women were champions most recently in 2017. Andy Roddick is the last American to win a men’s Grand Slam (2003) while Coco Gauff’s last Grand Slam crown came at the 2023 US Open.Is adding a fifth Grand Slam feasible?This would change a century of tennis history. It would necessitate rewriting the record books and Grand Slam tallies. Novak Djokovic is now the male player with the most Grand Slam titles (24), but if the Italian Open gets that status, he will fall behind Rafael Nadal (30-32). Many players would argue that if it was a Grand Slam, they wouldn’t have skipped it in the run-up to the French Open, the premier clay-court event. Having two Grand Slams in such close proximity in terms of scheduling and geography would be another issue.As prestigious as the Italian Open is, the number of Grand Slam tournaments is unlikely to increase from four anytime soon.