“It is only a matter of time!” Matteo Berrettini CLAIMS the Big-3’s reign is coming to an end


“It is only a matter of time!” Matteo Berrettini CLAIMS the Big-3’s reign is coming to an end

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini has been one of the most consistent players in the past couple of years. The Italian has been a mainstay in the top-10 and reached the quarter-finals or better in his last four Grand Slams.

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The 25-year-old had a good campaign in Melbourne where he reached the semi-final of the Australian Open. But he was knocked out by eventual champion Rafael Nadal. Despite his massive improvement over the years, the Italian holds a dismal record against the Big Three. He has played a combined 8 matches against the trio but is yet to win a match against them.

Berrettini was quizzed about who he thought was the best player among Djokovic and Nadal. He replied saying there is no answer to that question as he has lost against both of them and also added the duo along with Federer are the ‘greatest tennis players of all time’.

“I swear, there is no answer. After all, I have lost many times against both of them. Nadal is a [left-hander] and takes you wherever he wants, giving you the impression of letting you play more and in the end, he beats you. Djokovic just deactivates you, he’s a great counter-attacker. The two of them, along with Federer, are the greatest tennis players of all time, sublime athletes. This is enough to understand what it means to have them in front of you,” Berrettini said in an interview with La Repubblica.

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I don’t feel bothered ” Matteo Berrettini on fans supporting the Big Three

Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini

Berrettini said that the fans’ support for the Big Three is akin to the situation when Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were dominating the tennis scene. He also claimed that even Nadal didn’t receive support when he was younger. The Italian added that similar to the time when Sampras and Agassi’s dominance ended and the fans started cheering for the next champions after the Big 3 era ends they will start supporting the NextGen.

“It is only a matter of time, it will pass. The same was true with Nadal, at the beginning. People said – ‘But he looks like this, he plays with the (long) Capri shorts’. And the public cheered for [Pete] Sampras, for [Andre] Agassi, not for the new champions who would also become legends,” the Italian added.

He further added that he is not bothered by the support the Big Three receive in matches, because even he himself would’ve done the same thing.

“I understand people who love myths, I don’t feel bothered on the pitch [by fans supporting the ‘Big Three’ in matches]. Maybe I too, if I were in the stands, would cheer for them. Because cheering on Nadal, Djokovic or Federer means being together with your memories, it means remaining attached to a part of your heart. I find it romantic,” he said.

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