Colle Degli Dei Tennis Academy

Meet Our Team

A high-performance staff built on experience, precision, and passion — from coaching and fitness to mental training, physiotherapy, nutrition, and player support.

Mental Training — A true competitive advantage. We build routines for pressure, focus, confidence, match mindset, and emotional control to help players perform at their best when it matters most.

Our Approach

Our Coaching Philosophy

At Colle Degli Dei Tennis Academy, our team operates as a single, integrated performance unit.

Technical coaching, physical preparation, mental training, and player care are aligned under a shared methodology focused on long-term development, consistency, and competitive excellence.

Every athlete follows a structured pathway designed around individual needs, training load, and competition objectives — ensuring progression, resilience, and peak performance when it matters most.

Corrado Favale

Corrado FAVALE

Head Coach

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Corrado FAVALE

Head Coach

National FIT Coach since 2011. International Coach (GPTCA) since 2012 (Level B after the Dublin course, 2018). PTR Performance Professional since 2014.

He began his coaching career in 2002 in Cisterna, founding and directing the Country Club Tennis School until 2012. In 2012, he merged that activity into Colle degli Dei and—together with Renato Pompei—helped build the current Tennis School: a pathway designed to guide players from their first strokes all the way to their highest potential.

Alongside directing other tennis schools (Villa Borghese Nettuno 2007–2009; CS Palianello 2010–2011), he expanded his expertise through international experiences with Andres Barbosa (Key Biscayne) and Rick Macci (Boca Raton) in Florida (2009), and with Riccardo Piatti’s team in Bordighera (2011–2013), including advanced work in video analysis.

Since 2015, he has collaborated closely with Claudio Pistolesi’s CPE to organise coach-education stages, training camps for young athletes, and international development experiences (tournament trips, US college visits, and broader growth opportunities).

Since 2018, he has accompanied multiple players on the international Futures and Challenger circuits, supporting development that contributed to the club’s historic promotion to Serie A (2022).

Alberto Castellani

Alberto CASTELLANI

Head Coach, Mental Training Expert & Mentor

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Alberto CASTELLANI

Head Coach, Mental Training Expert & Mentor

One of Italy’s most respected high-performance coaches, Alberto has coached professionally since 1983 and has worked with numerous ATP Top 100 players across his career, including athletes who reached the very top of the world rankings.

He is the Founder and President of the GPTCA (Global Professional Tennis Coach Association), established in 2010 with a group of tour-level coaches and later recognised by the ATP as a leading global coaching association.

Known for combining elite-level technical training with a strong focus on the mental side of performance, he has supported players across hundreds of international events—bringing a “big-tour” mindset to daily training, match preparation, and long-term athlete development.

Roles at Colle degli Dei focus on mentoring coaches, building performance routines, and strengthening the mental edge that separates good players from great competitors.

Francesco Zaccagnini

Francesco ZACCAGNINI

Coaching Staff

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Francesco ZACCAGNINI

Coaching Staff

Graduated in Statistical Sciences. He started working as a hitting partner in 2015 and later qualified as a FIT Level 1 coach.

Since 2017, he has been a core part of the coaching team, working across Baby Tennis, Mini Tennis, Development groups, Adult programs, and seasonal camps.

GPTCA member since 2023.

Simone Ferrarese

Simone FERRARESE

Coaching Staff

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Simone FERRARESE

Coaching Staff

Second-degree certified coach since 2004. GPTCA International Coach Level C (November 2023).

He joined the Colle degli Dei staff recently, bringing extensive coaching experience and a high-performance approach to daily training.

Rocio Galarza

Rocio GALARZA

Coaching Staff

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Rocio GALARZA

Coaching Staff

Born in Rosario, Argentina. Former WTA player.

She joined Colle degli Dei in 2023 and—together with Head Coach Corrado Favale—served as a captain for the club’s Serie A team.

GPTCA member since November 2023 (International Coach Level C).

Benedetta Strona

Benedetta STRONA

Performance / Coaching

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Benedetta STRONA

Performance / Coaching

National FIT Coach since 2009 and qualified strength & conditioning specialist. PTR Professional and GPTCA International Coach Level B.

Specialised molecular biologist and kinesiologist, and a certified Feldenkrais Method teacher.

Joined the Colle degli Dei team in September 2023 and works primarily with academy players.

Marco Arceri

Marco ARCERI

Strength & Conditioning

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Marco ARCERI

Strength & Conditioning

Graduated in Sport & Exercise Sciences. Currently attending the CONI pathway for “Expert in Physical Preparation”.

Works with Colle degli Dei as a physical trainer, supporting tennis-specific athletic development.

Recently completed the GPTCA course (International Coach Level C).

Andrea Vinci

Andrea VINCI

Stringing

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Andrea VINCI

Stringing

A key reference point for the academy as an on-site stringer.

Professional Stringer since 2000, with experience across Challenger events and top-level tournaments including the Internazionali d’Italia, Roland Garros, and Monte-Carlo.

Giorgio Caponera

Giorgio CAPONERA

Mental Training

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Giorgio CAPONERA

Mental Training

Head of the mental training area.

Degree in Psychology (La Sapienza University, 2004) and specialisation in Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapy (Istituto Skinner, Rome).

Gabriele Mastrella

Gabriele MASTRELLA

Physiotherapy

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Gabriele MASTRELLA

Physiotherapy

Staff physiotherapist providing daily support to the club’s tennis players.

A key reference point for the full-time competitive training sector, supporting assessment, treatment, and return-to-play.

Etta Guidaldi

Etta GUIDALDI

Staff

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Etta GUIDALDI

Staff

Bio coming soon.

Giorgia Sibilia

Giorgia SIBILIA

Staff

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Giorgia SIBILIA

Staff

Bio coming soon.

Michela Mudadu

Michela MUDADU

Staff

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Michela MUDADU

Staff

Bio coming soon.

Giulia Fratarcangeli

Giulia FRATARCANGELI

Staff

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Giulia FRATARCANGELI

Staff

Bio coming soon.

Jaspal Singh

Jaspal SINGH

Staff

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Jaspal SINGH

Staff

Bio coming soon.

Tall Aliou Castellani

Tall Aliou CASTELLANI

Staff

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Tall Aliou CASTELLANI

Staff

Bio coming soon.

Player Development

How the Team Supports the Player

Our staff works as a coordinated performance unit, guiding each athlete through every phase of training, competition, and recovery.

01

Train

Technical and tactical coaching built around individual needs, stroke development, game identity, and long-term progression.

02

Prepare

Physical preparation, mental routines, and match readiness aligned with training load, age, and competitive objectives.

03

Compete

Match planning, tactical support, pressure management, and guidance before and during competition.

04

Recover

Physiotherapy, recovery protocols, nutrition, and monitoring to protect the athlete and ensure consistency across the season.

Contact information

Reach us directly, or use the form above. We typically respond within 24 hours.

Address

Via Colle Calcagno, 31/11, 00049 Velletri RM, Italy

Find us

A.S.D. Colle degli Dei — Velletri (RM), Italy
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