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| Susy Scutto Now: Where Is the Judo World Champion After Physical 100: Italy? |
Assunta “Susy” Scutto has gone from a five-year-old stepping onto the judo tatami because of her cousin to becoming a World Champion and one of Italy’s standout judoka, with another Olympic campaign already in her sights. For viewers who met her through Netflix’s Physical 100: Italy, where she was introduced as the second contestant among 100 athletes, her compact frame and fearless attitude quickly made an impression. The show presented someone who knew perfectly well that some competitors were considerably bigger than her, but apparently did not receive the memo that she was supposed to be intimidated.
Scutto’s competitive instincts were obvious from the beginning. She progressed through the opening challenge before using her tactical awareness to win her duel in the following round. During the third challenge, she opted to join Andrea Minguzzi’s team, adding another chapter to a competition that demanded considerably more than simply looking strong. Her appearance also gave Netflix viewers a glimpse of an athlete whose career had already reached a much higher level long before she walked into the Physical 100 arena.
Susy Scutto’s judo journey began when she was just five, after her cousin introduced her to the sport. She eventually trained at Star Judo Club, the Naples-based club founded by Master Gianni Maddaloni, and what could easily have remained a childhood hobby quickly became something far more serious. Years of training led her into national competition and eventually onto the international stage, where she began building the results that would define her career.
Her breakthrough period arrived in 2021. Scutto won gold at the World Junior Championships in Olbia and followed it with victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. A year later, she collected silver at the World Junior Championships in Guayaquil before earning bronze at the World Championships in Tashkent in the Under-48kg category. Rather than treating those results as a peak, she seemingly treated them as a particularly convincing reason to keep training.
That approach paid off again in 2023. Scutto secured another bronze at the World Championships in Doha and added three Grand Slam victories in Abu Dhabi, Baku and Astana. She then represented Italy at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing seventh. It was not the podium finish she would have wanted, but the result hardly brought her momentum to a halt.
Instead, Scutto returned to the circuit and continued collecting major results. She won bronze at the Paris Grand Slam in 2024 and silver at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi in the Under-48kg division. In 2025, she added bronze medals at the Astana Grand Slam and European Championships in Podgorica. Then came the result that changed the description attached to her name: Scutto became a World Champion after winning gold in the Under-48kg category.
Becoming world champion did not mean everything suddenly became straightforward. Scutto subsequently dealt with an elbow injury that required surgery, with an initial recovery estimate of around three months. She later indicated that her recovery went faster than expected, allowing her to return to competition rather than spending an eternity staring mournfully at her judo kit. By 2026, she was back winning, taking gold at the Grand Prix in Lima, Peru.
Her ambitions have not stopped with a world title. The 2028 Olympics are now firmly part of Scutto’s plans, giving her another major target after Paris. In September 2026, she was also announced as the torchbearer for the Under-23 European Judo Championships in Naples, another significant recognition for an athlete whose career has become increasingly connected with Italian judo.
Away from competition, Scutto has also developed a growing social-media presence. She has built an audience of more than 13,000 Instagram followers, while taking on collaborations that sit alongside her sporting career.
Her partnerships have included the Italian Federation of Judo, Wrestling, Karate and Martial Arts, Torrelavega Judo Clinic, Acqua Lete and DAO Sport, the agency she officially signed with in 2026. She has also worked with Judo TV, giving followers a closer look at the competitive side of her life.
There is a surprisingly calm side to Scutto beyond the relentless training and competition schedule. Drawing is one of her favourite ways to switch off, offering a quieter contrast to the intensity of judo.
It is probably useful to have something that does not involve being thrown across a mat when the rest of your professional life revolves around precisely that. Her charitable activities have also continued, including involvement in an auction with fellow athletes that raised money for children affected by serious blood-related illnesses.
Her personal life appears considerably more relaxed than her professional one. Scutto has been in a long-term relationship with Kevyn Perna, with the couple marking their tenth anniversary in April 2026. Their relationship began in 2016 and has continued alongside the demands of her sporting career. Rather than constantly chasing elaborate experiences, the pair seem to enjoy fairly ordinary moments together, including beaches, boat trips and holidays.
In February 2026, Scutto and Perna visited Disneyland, while their July trip to Palma de Mallorca brought more sunshine, beach time and drinks into the picture. Perna has also remained a visible source of support during her competitions, cheering her on and celebrating her victories. When Scutto gets some genuine downtime, the two reportedly enjoy long hikes together, which sounds considerably more peaceful than anything involving a competitive judo tournament.
Family and friendships remain important to Scutto as well. Her cousin played a key role in introducing her to judo, while her friends continue to provide support away from competition. She also maintains a strong relationship with her coach Antonio Ciano, another important figure in her development. And despite the demands of elite sport, Scutto makes plenty of room for her younger sister, whom she clearly adores.
In my view, what makes Susy Scutto’s story particularly interesting after Physical 100: Italy is that the Netflix appearance is almost the least important part of her sporting journey. The programme introduced her to a wider audience, but she arrived with years of international competition, Olympic experience, Grand Slam victories and, eventually, a World Championship title already behind her. That changes the way you watch her on the show because the smaller athlete in the room is not exactly an underdog waiting to be discovered. She already knows how to compete at the highest level.
There is also something refreshingly sensible about Scutto’s career trajectory. She did not let seventh place in Paris become the entire story, and an injury did not convince her to put everything on hold indefinitely. She recovered, returned and kept winning.
At the same time, her interests outside judo make her feel less like a permanently switched-on sports machine and more like an actual person who occasionally wants to draw, hike, visit Disneyland or sit by a beach with her partner. Frankly, after years of throwing people around for a living, she has earned a few quiet afternoons.
So, where is Susy Scutto now? She remains firmly involved in elite judo, enters the next stage of her career as a World Champion and is looking towards the 2028 Olympics, while also building her profile beyond competition.
Her story is still moving, rather than sitting neatly in the past tense, which makes her Physical 100: Italy appearance feel more like an introduction than a conclusion. Did you watch Susy on Physical 100: Italy, and do you think she has what it takes to reach the podium at the 2028 Olympics? Share your thoughts.