Matteo Berrettini’s Awkward ‘Is It Live?’ During Interview Amid Rumors of Affair Between His Ex-Girlfriend and Lorenzo Musetti Goes Viral

Matteo Berrettini will lock horns with Lorenzo Musetti if both reach the semifinals of the Vienna Open.

Matteo Berrettini’s Awkward ‘Is It Live?’ During Interview Amid Rumors of Affair Between His Ex-Girlfriend and Lorenzo Musetti Goes Viral

L-R: Lorenzo Musetti, Vanessa Bellini, Matteo Berrettini (Image via ATP Tour, Chi Magazine)

Matteo Berrettini‘s awkward interview ended up adding fuel to the rumors of a fallout with compatriot Lorenzo Musetti. The rumors involve Berrettini’s ex-girlfriend Vanessa Bellini.

According to those rumors, after Berrettini ended his relationship, Musetti also broke up with Veronica Confalonieri, the mother of his two children. Both the players split with their now ex-partners the same week.

Berrettini, to everyone’s surprise, is not a part of this year’s Davis Cup squad. He was part of the team in the previous two seasons (Italy won both times). Italy’s captain Filippo Volandri will guide a team of Musetti, Flavio Cobolli, Luciano Darderi, Andrea Vavassori, and Simone Bolelli. As per Volandri, he chose the players based on their rankings.

As usual, these call-ups are based on current rankings. The next few weeks leading up to our new Davis Cup adventure will be crucial for me. My entire staff and I will work to assess each player’s condition to determine their availability, so we can field the best possible lineup.

Filippo Volandri told Italian media (H/T: Tennis365)

World No.1 Jannik Sinner won’t play because he has already called time on his season due to his knee injury. Cobolli, World No.6, is the highest-ranked player in the squad, followed by World No.23 Darderi and World No.26 Musetti. Berrettini sits at 48th spot, while Vavassori and Bolelli are ranked seventh and 10th in doubles rankings, respectively.

But tennis fans are convinced Berrettini was not picked by Volandri due to rumors of his fallout with Musetti. There has been a great deal of chatter surrounding the two players, with Berrettini’s on-court interview following his opening-round win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry intensifying the gossip.

When the interviewer asked him, “Your friend Lorenzo Musetti has just won a title for the first time in a while, does that serve as inspiration?” Berrettini looked uncomfortable before asking, “Is it live?” When the interviewer answered in the affirmative, Berrettini, after an awkward laugh, said, “It’s okay. I know he worked really hard to come back and I guess he deserved it.“

Watch the video here:

Berrettini will next face Cobolli. The 30-year-old hasn’t reached a final since winning the 2024 Austrian Open Kitzbuhel.

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Rennae Stubbs reacts to Taylor Fritz’s defeat to Lorenzo Musetti in the Lyon Open final

The title that Lorenzo Musetti won was at the Lyon Open. He defeated Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4 and ended his title drought, winning his first title since the 2022 Tennis Napoli Cup. Reacting to the match, Serena Williams‘ coach Rennae Stubbs called Fritz stubborn for missing opportunities, such as coming forward to the net to attack Musetti’s one-handed backhand.

Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz (Image via Tennis Majors)

If that match was not an indicator of what I have been talking about for years now with Taylor… it’s his inability to go forward to the net… Watching the match, it was so evident to me that his inability to know what to do inside the service line area, towards the net, is so obvious when he plays someone like Musetti.

Rennae Stubbs said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast

The win helped the Italian improve his head-to-head lead over the American to 5-3.

You have to be able to come in and attack the one-hander. As good as his backhand is, it’s more attackable than a two-handed backhand, where they can use the left hand to manipulate the ball a bit to make it easier to hit a passing shot. I just sat and watched the match, and I was like, ‘Dude, there were so many opportunities to come in, and he just refuses to come in’. To this day, he is so stubborn. Yet he is so smart.

Rennae Stubbs added

Musetti will face Frances Tiafoe in the opening round of the Vienna Open. He will only face Matteo Berrettini if they reach the semifinals.

Also read: Novak Djokovic Explains Why Playing at Swiss Indoors Will Be ‘Easier’ Than Other Events