Matteo Berrettini: "It's something I have inside me"
Matteo Berrettini recently suffered a relapse in terms of world rankings. Nevertheless, the Italian was full of confidence in Acapulco.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Mar 02, 2023, 09:26 pm
There were beautiful pictures and, above all, ones that can definitely shape the first days of a tournament: those of the Berrettini brothers, carried by the younger Jacopo's surprise run, at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco. Although the 24-year-old Jacopo had to say goodbye to the tournament, his brother Matteo is still in the thick of things, and he's playing more and more in the circle of title aspirants. Especially since Casper Ruud has already had to say goodbye to his branch.
An example of how the tennis world has moved closer together, as Berrettini explained: "Everyone is ready to beat everyone," said the Roman, who is currently only 24th in the ATP world rankings. It's not an easy situation, especially as it's becoming more and more unseeded in tournaments. But: "I don't think anyone would want to play against me in the first round," said Berrettini nonetheless. Nevertheless, it is not an easy situation for the Italian, who has been in top positions for years.
Berrettini with good memories
"In the last three years, my placement has been different than it is now, but the self-confidence that I have gained over the years is still there," said Berrettini when asked about his relapse outside the top 20. "I feel like I can win this tournament, I feel like every time I go on the pitch I can win the game," said the Italian. That's just how it is in tennis: sometimes it goes uphill, sometimes it goes downhill.
In this phase, confidence is also given by the memory of the previous year, when Berrettini - like now for a few weeks without a match experience - returns to the grass season to make a big splash there: "Last year I was away for three months, and when I came back, I won a lot of games on grass. That's something I have in me and that I'm using now," said the Roman, who is now up against Holger Rune in the semifinals.