After the discovery of some historical tennis balls from the late 14th century – only found in such numbers in Italy – Clerici’s passion for the origins of tennis, a sport to which he has devoted his whole life, has had a cultural echo.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of a group of scholars and tennis lovers, the dream of Gianni Clerici came true with the foundation of the Club delle Balette. Clerici is honorary chairperson of the cultural association whose goal is to strengthen the bond of tennis with its origins. Conscious of the value of history and memory, it aims to spread knowledge of the context in which the game of real tennis became popular and therefore increase appreciation of the richness of the discipline and the emotions that it arouses.

One of the various goals of the Club delle Balette is to study the origins of sport in general in order to understand its effect on the well-being of body and mind. It is the wish of the association’s founder and its members to set up a museum and look for a site to recreate a real tennis court. It would be the first of its kind where this sport could be played in Italy and could maybe become part of the prestigious and exclusive International Real Tennis Association in the future.

The Club delle Balette aims to develop its relations with the world of tennis and sport in general by promoting and organizing events, exhibitions, conferences and meetings. It seeks to encourage exchanges between past and future generations in order to preserve and experience sport as more than just a competitive act. This ambitious project will underscore Italy’s precious historical and cultural heritage and act as a driving force for its tourist and environmental attractions.