Matteo Berrettini
Italian Tennis Player
Matteo Berrettini is an Italian tennis player. He won his first ATP title in Gstaad, Switzerland in July 2018.
Matteo Berrettini
• Date of birth: 12 April 1996
• Age: 26 years old
• Place of birth: Rome, Italy
• Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco
• Nationality: Italian
• Height: 174cm / 6ft 5ins
• Weight: 95kg / 209lbs
• Plays: Right-handed
• Turned Pro: 2015
• Career Prize Money: US$ 9,920,046
• Instagram: @matberrettini
The 26-year-old turned professional in 2015 and made his ATP main draw debut at the Italian Open in the summer of 2017.
He continued to make progress and after reaching the third round of the 2018 French Open, he won his first ATP Tour title in July 2018, beating Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets at the Swiss Open in Gstaad.
Berrettini then continued to impress and move steadily up the world rankings, qualifying for the 2019 ATP Tour Finals as the world number eight.
In 2021, he reached his first grand slam final at Wimbledon, eventually losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
So, what do we know about Matteo’s journey to becoming the talented tennis player he is today? This is his story.
Early Life, Parents And Upbringing
Matteo Berrettini was born on 12 April 1996 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
His father is Luca Berrettini and his mother is Claudia Bigo. He has a younger brother named Jacopo, who is also a tennis player.
Berrettini, whose nickname is Mat, is of partially Brazilian descent through his grandmother Lucia Fogaca, who was born in Rio de Janeiro.
He started playing tennis when he was just four years old and also competed in swimming, football and judo as a child.
When he was eight years old, his brother Jacopo asked him to play more tennis with him and that’s what inspired him to pursue a career in the sport.
Matteo and his family used to make trips in caravans in the summer months so that he and his brother could compete in junior tournaments in Germany and Austria.
Matteo Berrettini (Photo: Marianne Bevis)
Speaking in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport in 2018, Berrettini said: “We did them [the trips] for three or four years, especially in the summer: my parents took time off and we went to colder places like Germany or Austria, where under-14 and 16 tournaments were planned together, so we both played.
“We chose the nicest ones, with lots of green space – also because our Labrador would travel with us. We liked it because we felt more united as a family and more immersed in the tournament, always living inside the club.
“It was a nice experience at that age and useful for growing up, since now we always stay in the hotels.
“Once, before a high-level tournament, Dad promised us that if one of us won, he would never smoke again. I’d asked him to quit for a long time but I played without thinking. In the end I won. ‘Now I’ll stop’, he said hugging me.”
First ATP Title And More Progress
After turning professional in 2015, Berrettini made his ATP main draw debut at the Italian Open in Rome in 2017, where he lost in the first round to fellow Italian Fabio Fognini.
His first title came in July 2018, when he defeated Roberto Bautista Agut in the final of the Swiss Open in Gstaad.
“I played the best week of my life, easily. I hope this will be the first step in a great career for me,” Berrettini said after the triumph.
Berrettini’s second career ATP title followed at the 2019 Hungarian Open, held in April in Budapest. Matteo won the title by defeating Filip Krajinovic in the final, 4–6 6–3 6–1.
He continued to make progress and after reaching the second round of the French Open he won his third ATP title in Stuttgart in June 2019, after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 7-6(11) to claim the trophy. Berrettini won all 50 of his service games during the Stuttgart tournament, and claimed more than 89 per cent of his first-serve points in the tournament.
Berrettini then enjoyed a further run at Wimbledon, where he reached the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time before losing to Roger Federer in straight sets.
After the 74-minute match, in which Federer only lost 11 service points, Berrettini jokingly said to the Swiss at the handshake at the net: “Thanks for the tennis lesson, how much do I owe you?”
Matteo Berrettini (Photo: @matberrettini / Instagram)
Berrettini reached his first grand slam semi-final in 2019 at the US Open, eventually being beaten by eventual champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets.
His remarkable run in 2019 helped to propel him into the world’s top 10, and after finishing the season as the number eight, he qualified for the 2019 ATP Tour Finals.
Further Progress In 2021 And Beyond
At the 2021 Australian Open he reached the fourth round but withdrew due to from the tournament with abdominal pain, and remained out of action until April.
He then returned to action at the Serbia Open in Belgrade, where he won his fourth career title with a victory over Aslan Karatsev in the final.
Berrettini continued his resurgence and reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in Paris, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
The Italian then won his first ATP 500 title at the Queen’s Club in the lead-up to Wimbledon, defeating Britain’s Cameron Norrie, 6–4 6–7 (5–7) 6–3 in the final.
Berrettini continued his good form on the grass at Wimbledon 2021, reaching the final of the tournament in SW19. In doing so, he became the first Italian to reach a Wimbledon singles final. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the final in four sets.
“I’m really happy with the final and hopefully it will not be my last one here or my last one in a Slam,” said Berrettini after losing the Wimbledon final. “I’m so honoured to be here and it’s been a really great run for two weeks. Also with [winning] Queen’s, I could not ask for more, well, maybe, a bit more.”
Matteo Berrettini (Photo: Christopher Putnam / FiledIMAGE Photography / depositphotos.com)
Berrettini went on to reach the quarter-finals of the 2021 US Open, where he lost to Djokovic in four sets.
After qualifying for the 2021 ATP Finals in Turin, Berrettini was forced to withdraw with an abdominal injury during his first match with Alexander Zverev.
Berrettini began 2022 in solid form and reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, where he lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in four sets.
He then won back-to-back grass-court titles after returning from injury, triumphing in Stuttgart before defending his title at Queen’s Club in London.
Life Away From The Court
Matteo is fluent in Italian, English, and Spanish.
He enjoys watching NBA Basketball and is a fan of LeBron James and AC Fiorentina.
His favourite movie is Interstellar, and his favourite TV show is Breaking Bad.
Matteo Berrettini (Photo: @matberrettini / Instagram)
Earnings And Prize Money
As of June 2022, Berrettini has won US$ 9,920,046 in career prize money.
What Have Others Said?
Novak Djokovic, speaking after beating Berrettini in the 2021 US Open quarter-finals: “He’s in tremendous form, he’s been winning a lot. He has comfortably moved to the semi-finals here. I know his game well, we played in Tokyo. He’s one of the best players in the world, but the bigger the challenge the more glory in overcoming it. This was a great match, with a lot of energy on and off the court. Matteo is a terrific player and every time we face each other it’s a close battle. When I lost the first set I managed to forget about it and move on. I was locked in at the start of the second and it was the best three sets I’ve played so far.”
Rafael Nadal, speaking after beating Berrettini in the 2022 Australian Open semi-finals: “I know how good Matteo is, he is a very solid player, very dangerous. In the third [set] I know at some point he is going to go for the shots. And then I think I didn’t play a good game with myself in the fourth and third. He played some great shots, passing shot down the line, unbelievable. Then, yeah, then I had to suffer and wanted to fight in the fourth again.”
