The Man Behind tennis Star Sinner's Rise Has a New Mountain to Climb

Alex Vittur, the architect of Jannik Sinner's tennis empire, has quietly made a €10 million bet on the future of one of the Alps' most celebrated ski resorts — and it may be about far more than property.

In the world of professional tennis, Alex Vittur is best known as the man who helped turn a teenage skier from the South Tyrolean Dolomites into the greatest player on earth. Now, the 41-year-old sports executive is making a significant move closer to home — one that signals his ambitions extend well beyond the baseline.

Vittur has acquired approximately 5,000 shares in Kronplatz Holding AG from vice president Thomas Gatterer, bringing his total stake to around 7,600 shares — roughly 13% of the holding company. The deal, reported to be worth around €10 million, has been confirmed by sources close to the board of directors. Among the holding's 589 stakeholders, it makes Vittur the single largest individual shareholder.

The acquisition marks a striking new chapter for a figure already deeply embedded in the fabric of South Tyrolean life. Vittur already sat on the board of directors of Kronplatz Holding and serves as vice president of Kronplatz Seilbahn, the subsidiary responsible for the resort's lift infrastructure. This purchase doesn't just buy him more shares — it buys him considerably more leverage.

A Resort at the Heart of Alpine Tourism

Kronplatz, known in Italian as Plan de Corones, is no ordinary ski hill. Situated in the Puster Valley of South Tyrol, it sits within the Dolomiti Superski network — one of the world's largest interconnected ski pass systems, linking 12 resorts across the Italian Dolomites. The resort hosts a regular stop on the women's FIS Alpine World Cup circuit and draws skiers from across Europe.

Kronplatz Holding encompasses Kronplatz Seilbahn, Kronplatz Mobility, Kronplatz Touristik, and Kronplatz Gastronomie — companies that collectively manage ski lifts, slopes, hiking and bike trails, transport infrastructure, hotels, and restaurants across the resort area. In short, it is not merely a ski company. It is a vertically integrated alpine tourism empire — and one that Vittur now has greater influence over than any other single investor.

Strategy, Tension, and a €10 Million Question

The timing and nature of the deal have raised eyebrows in South Tyrolean business circles. According to reporting by Die Neue Südtiroler Tageszeitung, tensions have emerged between Vittur and current holding president Christian Gasser over the strategic direction of the group — specifically the balance between the traditional ski lift business and an expansion into luxury hotels and high-end hospitality.

Kronplatz Touristik, one of the holding's subsidiaries, already manages several hotel properties and is involved in new development projects in the Plan de Corones area — a direction that, according to local reporting, has not won unanimous support among shareholders, particularly given that the tourism division has reportedly operated at a loss since its inception.

Vittur, it appears, sees something others don't — or at least sees a different path forward. What is certain is that the current governance remains in place until 2028, meaning Vittur's strengthened position will not immediately reshape the boardroom. But in the longer game of alpine resort politics, patience is rarely in short supply.

Neither man has been forthcoming. When approached by the Tageszeitung, president Christian Gasser said simply that he did not intend to comment on the matter. Vittur has also stayed silent.

The Kingmaker of Italian Tennis

To understand why this deal matters, it helps to understand who Vittur is — and what he has already built.

Born in Brunico in 1984, Vittur was himself a professional tennis player, reaching a career-high ATP ranking of 605 before retiring at 20 and founding Avima Sports & Business Management. His defining contribution to the sport came early: he was among the first to recognise Sinner's potential, and is widely credited with persuading the future world number one to abandon competitive skiing as a teenager and dedicate himself entirely to tennis. 

The bond between the two men runs deep. "He is a friend, a brother, family — he knows everything about me," Sinner has said of Vittur. In March 2025, Vittur became Sinner's sole manager, taking exclusive control of all sponsorships and image rights. Under his stewardship, Sinner has not only reached the summit of men's tennis but become one of the sport's most commercially powerful figures — ranking among the world's 50 highest-paid athletes according to Forbes.

Back Where It All Began

There is a certain symmetry to Vittur's latest move. He grew up in the same valley that feeds into Kronplatz. He once helped steer a young man away from the mountains and towards the tennis courts of the world. Now, with the wealth and influence accumulated along that journey, he is steering himself back.

Whether his vision for Kronplatz — whatever it ultimately proves to be — will prevail over the current leadership's approach remains to be seen. With the board renewed through 2028, the structural constraints on his influence are real, for now. But Vittur has shown a particular talent for playing a long game, and for identifying potential that others overlook.

In tennis, that instinct made him one of the sport's most consequential figures behind the scenes. On the slopes of South Tyrol, the stakes are different — but the instinct, it seems, is the same.