Schiavone Team Lab

A champion’s next chapter

Francesca Schiavone did not create Schiavone Team Lab to be a monument to her 2010 Roland Garros title. She built it to pass on a way of training and living tennis that helped her compete at the highest level for nearly two decades. The academy opened in 2022 with a clear premise: shape the person first so the player can flourish. That guiding idea shows up in everything from the selection process to the weekly schedule.

Schiavone oversees the project and sets standards on and off the court, while a compact team of specialists delivers the daily work. The core staff includes sports director Fabio Cibien, head coach Lorenzo Frigerio, and long-time performance coach Sergio Bugada, who handled Schiavone’s physical preparation during her career. Additional coaches and fitness trainers serve the elite and youth groups, keeping ratios tight and communication direct. The result is a founder-led environment where the methodology is visible and the accountability is personal.

Varese as a training base

The academy sits in Varese, a green pocket of Lombardy with quick access to Milan, Malpensa Airport, and the Swiss border. The setting matters for three simple reasons.

• Accessibility. Families traveling in for trials or weekend blocks can reach the site quickly. Pros can fly in and out without logistical friction and can drive to ITF and national events across northern Italy and southern Switzerland.
• Climate. Varese has four distinct seasons with a temperate spring and autumn that reward long training blocks on clay. Winters are cool, which makes covered courts and a winter bubble essential for continuity. Summer heat is manageable compared with coastal tourist hubs.
• City integration. Being in town means players can combine training with school, tutoring, or language study. Parents find lodging and services within minutes, and the sports precinct around the club creates an everyday rhythm that feels like a real life, not a resort bubble.

The location also shapes culture. Younger kids see ambitious teens training with precision. Adults warm up on the adjoining court before a league match. That intergenerational visibility reinforces standards without a word being spoken.

Facilities now and next

Schiavone Team Lab is developing its base as a multi-court, multi-sport hub with tennis at the center. Tennis activities run today while a larger redevelopment phases in around them. Plans call for seven tennis courts in total: four clay courts, including a main show court with seating, and three synthetic courts. Two of the synthetic courts will have permanent covers and the third is scheduled to receive a winter bubble. The mix is intentional. Clay supports the academy’s emphasis on movement quality, point construction, and patience. The covered hard-like surfaces ensure year-round volume, specificity for faster conditions, and reliable sparring when weather turns.

A new one-level clubhouse of roughly 990 square meters is planned to host reception, a restaurant, a fitness gym, a physiotherapy suite, locker rooms, offices, a lounge, and a compact pro shop. Large glass lines face the central court and a covered terrace. Materials and techniques are chosen with reduced environmental impact in mind, a practical choice that aligns with the academy’s long-term horizon. The site plan also includes four padel courts with their own access and services, which broadens community use without interfering with the tennis flow.

Even in its current phase, the space is organized for performance. The warm-up area is within steps of the courts, recovery stations are kept visible rather than tucked out of sight, and scheduling keeps turnaround time tight so sessions do not drift. When the full fitness and physio footprint opens, athletes will transition from court to gym to treatment without long walks or downtime that break concentration.

The coaching team and a clear philosophy

Schiavone’s imprint is clear in the staffing and in the method. Cibien manages the sports side and parent relations with a straight-ahead communication style. Frigerio runs day-to-day on-court operations and competed on the ATP tour, which lends practical authority to technical decisions. Bugada leads strength and conditioning with a tour-tested eye for durability and repeatability.

The academy’s method formalizes four pillars:

1. Mentality. Build resilience and clarity under stress. Players practice pre-point routines, match debriefs, and decision rules for high-leverage moments.
2. Athletic preparation. Movement quality comes first, then targeted strength and power. Younger athletes develop coordination and elasticity. Older athletes learn how to manage force production and recovery windows.
3. Technique and tactics. Biomechanics are taught in plain language, with footage and simple checkpoints. Tactical instruction focuses on patterns, depth management, and neutral to advantage transitions.
4. Values and discipline. Standards for respect, punctuality, and work ethic are explicit. The tone is demanding but constructive.

A key differentiator is consistency. Coaches share vocabulary across age bands so a concept introduced at age 10 makes sense again at 14 and 18. The same cues travel from basket drills to situational points to live sets. Players do not waste time decoding coach-specific jargon.

Programs and calendar

Schiavone Team Lab offers three core pathways year-round and runs seasonal events that extend the calendar.

• Pro Lab. Designed for aspiring and current tour-level players who want full-time or part-time programming with a national or international schedule. The group is intentionally small. Technical detail and match-play simulations are layered over individualized physical preparation, with Schiavone’s oversight shaping weekly goals.
• Young Lab. A pathway that begins at age five and scales from foundational coordination and play-based learning to competitive squads. The aim is to avoid a one-speed junior conveyor belt. Younger children get fun and fundamentals; teens move into periodized training with pressure drills and local competition.
• Adult Lab. High-structure sessions for committed adults, with a mix of small groups, private lessons, and internal match play. The tone is serious but inclusive, an asset for parents who want to understand the same drills their children use.

Seasonal camps and events enrich that spine. The Varese site has hosted summer camps for kids and teens and has welcomed sanctioned adult competition, a sign the venue is already functioning as an event host while redevelopment continues. Camps emphasize good habits as much as forehands. Players learn to pack a bag properly, manage hydration and snack timing, and set a simple pre-session goal.

Training and player development approach

Training days follow the four-pillar method with clear work blocks. On-court segments prioritize diagnostic work and specificity. A given session may focus on forehand height and depth windows, short-hop backhand timing, or serve pattern A and B. Players know what success looks like before the first ball is fed.

Patterns and situational points are a constant. Staff use controlled constraints to teach decision making. For example, a live point may start with a second serve to the backhand followed by a three-ball pattern that ends only when the player earns short ball territory. Another drill might require a slice backhand defense into crosscourt height, then a footwork recovery that sets up a plus-one forehand. The point is not to script outcomes but to teach players to recognize how advantage is created.

Fitness sits alongside rather than after tennis. Younger cohorts spend time on coordination ladders, rebounder throws, and ground-based strength that builds connective tissue tolerance. Elite players move to targeted power with trap-bar deadlifts, med-ball shot put variations, and unilateral work that respects asymmetries. Conditioning is built around repeat sprint ability and alactic power, not mindless mileage. Recovery is given equal billing with emphasis on sleep routines, mobility, and simple breath resets that calm the nervous system between blocks.

Mentality work is built into the flow of the day. Briefing and debriefing bookend sessions. Tie-break simulations are run with specific stress routines and consequences that are competitive but not punitive. Players maintain a training journal that captures a short list of cues rather than lengthy essays. The goal is durable habits, not motivational wallpaper.

Video and data are used with restraint. Coaches capture clips for before-and-after comparisons and for tactical review. Speed gates and jump metrics appear in block testing to guide the physical plan. The staff avoids gadget overload. Tools are used when they clarify decisions, not to decorate the session.

Alumni and early outcomes

The academy is young, so its story is still being written. What can be said with confidence is that early cohorts have shown the kind of progress you would expect from a clear and consistent method. Juniors moving from regional events into national-level play do so with a style shaped by clay-court patience and the ability to accelerate when advantage appears. Adult players report more purposeful practice and a better understanding of how to train, not just how to rally. Pro-track athletes benefit from Schiavone’s lived experience with week-to-week scheduling, surface transitions, and coping strategies during grind stretches. The headline is steady, measurable improvement rather than social-media peaks.

Culture and daily life

The intake process is straightforward. Prospective players make contact, the staff reviews the profile and goals, and the academy proposes a fit and a program. That selection step matters. It keeps cohorts aligned, protects training quality, and sets expectations with families before the first session.

Once inside, the tone is collaborative. Coaches share a vocabulary, parents hear the same messages, and players understand why a drill is on the plan that day. The club setting encourages mingling across ages, which raises the bar for younger players and keeps older ones mindful of the example they set. Team norms are simple: arrive early, warm up properly, compete with intent, reset quickly when things go wrong, and leave the space better than you found it.

Small scale is a cultural advantage. With seven courts planned, a main show court, and covered surfaces for winter, there are enough resources for serious work without splintering into dozens of pods. The founder is not a distant brand name. She is present, supervising the method and the staff. That visibility keeps standards high.

Costs and accessibility

Pricing for academy programs is provided during the assessment and registration process and varies by pathway, intensity, and duration. Families should expect a customized quotation after the intake. The club structure allows for a member path, a pay-as-you-go path, and a high-performance path. For some services tied to the venue, annual membership has been indicated in the range of approximately 1,300 to 1,400 euros, with courts and gym access available to non-members as well. That figure is a helpful public reference for the facility’s community side but should not be confused with Pro Lab or Young Lab tuition. If scholarships or financial aid are important, ask during the intake call. Places in the elite pathway are limited, and any support will likely be offered case by case.

Travel is simple. Malpensa Airport sits within reach for international families. Milan’s rail network opens up a range of weekend tournament options. Local lodging and dining are straightforward, and the sports precinct makes day-to-day logistics easy for parents who need a workspace while training is underway.

How it compares with other academies

Families often compare a compact, founder-led environment in Italy with larger international campuses. For context, read about the training culture at Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca and the coaching structure at Mouratoglou Tennis Academy on the Riviera. For an Italian benchmark focused on high-performance development, explore the approach used at Piatti Tennis Center in Italy. Schiavone Team Lab differs in scale and authorship. Fewer moving parts, a smaller coach-to-player ratio, and the founder’s direct oversight produce a more intimate environment. The trade-off is obvious. You get attention and continuity rather than glitz and size.

What makes it different

Two qualities define Schiavone Team Lab.

• Scale. The academy is intentionally compact, which makes it easier to keep the training vocabulary consistent and the culture coherent. Seven courts, including four clay, are enough to run serious work with intensity and variety without diluting court time.
• Authorship. The founder is present. Schiavone supervises the method and staff and remains accountable for the standards she sets. That is valuable in a market where big-brand signatures can sometimes be more logo than leadership.

The facility plan aligns with the philosophy. A central court with seating creates a venue for match-play days and visiting events. Covered synthetic courts support winter continuity. The clubhouse design places a gym, physio rooms, and social spaces within steps of the courts, which cuts transition time and encourages team habits.

Outlook and vision

The municipality formalized the handover of the tennis area in early 2024, clearing the way for construction. The project targeted 2025 milestones for the clubhouse, with tennis activities already running on refurbished courts. By mid 2025, the site was hosting adult competition and youth programming, confirming that the phased approach works. Over the next year, expect finishing touches on the clubhouse, a full fitness and physiotherapy footprint, and the padel cluster with its separate entrance.

The longer horizon is simple. Build a sustainable performance address in northern Italy that produces resilient players who can adapt to surfaces and schedules. Grow without losing the mentorship that defines the project. Keep the method public and the communication clear so families know what they are buying and why it matters.

Is it for you

Choose Schiavone Team Lab if you want a high-touch, founder-led environment where the method is clear and the groups are small. The Varese location suits families balancing school and sport or pros seeking a quieter base with easy access to Milan, Malpensa, and Switzerland. The facility plan is ambitious enough to support performance goals yet compact enough to keep accountability tight.

If you are comparing with giant campuses, ask a practical question. Does your player need size or attention. If your answer is the latter, this project deserves a serious look.

Quick summary

• Founded in 2022 by Grand Slam champion Francesca Schiavone.
• Located in Varese with easy access to Milan, Malpensa, and Switzerland.
• Facilities building toward seven courts with clay and covered synthetic options, a 990-square-meter clubhouse, gym, physio, and padel.
• Clear four-pillar method covering mentality, athletic preparation, technique and tactics, and values and discipline.
• Programs for pros, juniors from age five, and committed adults, with seasonal camps and hosted events.
• Small, accountable staff led by Schiavone, with specialists for fitness and age-specific development.
• Pricing customized by pathway and intensity, with membership options for venue services; inquire directly for current tuition and any scholarship availability.

Schiavone Team Lab is a grounded, modern answer to a common family search. It offers a serious training environment with true access to the founder, a facility that keeps improving, and a method that does not hide behind slogans. For many players, that combination is exactly what turns potential into progress.