Matteo Berrettini - Great time for Italy's tennis
Matteo Berrettini ended 2020 in tenth place in the ATP world rankings and thus as the best Italian. However, the 24-year-old was not satisfied with his season.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Dec 02, 2020, 11:18 am
Strictly speaking, Matteo Berrettini scored the most points in 2020 in a tournament in which he did not take part: Due to a late decision by the ATP Council, the Italian was quickly awarded those 200 points for the next evaluation period that he had 2019 with his victory in the insignificant third group match of the ATP Finals against Dominic Thiem. A late present for Berrettini, whose season couldn't match that of the previous year. In 2019, the 24-year-old Roman won in Budapest and Stuttgart and reached the semi-finals of the US Open (these three results are also included in the current ranking).
Matteo Berrettini's balance sheet, which he drew a few days ago in the Gazzetto dello Sport, is therefore not all positive. "I struggled this year," said Berrettini. "I didn't start my season in the best shape. I was often injured. It was a race against time to get back in shape. When I was finally ready, the tour was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic."
During the long break, the current number ten in the ATP world rankings enjoyed various exhibition tournaments, for example in Patrick Mouratoglou's academy, where he won the first "Ultimate Tennis Showdown", at Thiem's 7 in Kitzbühel or on the three-day lawn Event in Berlin. "I've had problems confirming my ranking," said Berrettini. "What I achieved in 2019 was deserved, but it came unexpectedly. I have to play a lot of matches to get into my rhythm."
Berrettini hopes for a place in Turin in 2021
In total, it should only be 15 in the season that has just ended. With six defeats, the one in the quarter-finals in Rome against Casper Ruud at Matteo Berrettini still having an effect. "The match against Ruud was decided by two points. If I had reached the semi-finals, it might have been a different season. The negative result was a learning experience. My team told me to stay relaxed and patient. I'm confident for the future."
This applies to Italian tennis in general. With Jannik Sinner, the next potential Italian top ten player is already ready. Sinner won his first tournament on the ATP tour in Sofia at the end of the season and is 37th in the ATP charts. "Sinner has had an impressive season. He has matured. At his age I didn't think about it, either only winning one match. He's playing with a clear plan for the future. "
And this future could lie in Italy, or rather in Turin, where the ATP Finals will be held from next year. "It's a great time for Italian tennis. I really hope that I can qualify for the ATP Finals. It would be a great result if an Italian were in Turin. Besides me and Sinner, Fabio Fognini and Lorenzo Sonego also play very good. And there are many other players who achieve good results and can please the Italian fans. "