“He destroyed me because I couldn’t believe I was playing against my idol”, Matteo Berrettini recalls Wimbledon 2019 match against Roger Federer


“He destroyed me because I couldn’t believe I was playing against my idol”, Matteo Berrettini recalls Wimbledon 2019 match against Roger Federer

Matteo Berrettini and Roger Federer

Matteo Berrettini, the Italian international who is currently ranked 7th in the ATP rankings has had mixed luck this year so as to say. However, this may be his career-high ranking which he achieved this year still he did not get the results that he might have desired or craved. He reached the finals of quite a few cups and also the Wimbledon but could not get the final taste of the crown.

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Berrettini lost the Madrid open to Alexander Zverev in the final, lost to Daniil Medvedev in the ATP Cup again in the final, walked out of the ATP World Tour Finals. In his defense, he might not have the luck in the Grand Slams as in both the US Open and French Open, in the quarter-final he was tied against Novak Djokovic. Ultimately, after a resolute performance in the Wimbledon, where he reached the final, he again had to face Djokovic where after taking a lead in the first set he fell apart because of the sheer brilliance of Djokovic- here one cannot blame Berrettini.

Therefore, despite some great performances, he did not get the results that he deserved rather than desired. Still, it was a fabulous season for him where he saw himself storming into the top 10 of the ATP rankings.

“I made people laugh at how I played against Roger Federer,” says Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini and Roger Federer
Matteo Berrettini and Roger Federer

During an interview with Gio, Berrettini recalls the moment from the 2019 Wimbledon match against Roger Federer. He faced Federer in the fourth round where he lost in straight sets. At the end of the match, the scoreboard read- 6-1 6-2 6-2. Therefore, a look at the scoreboard would prove that he was nowhere in the match. He, however, accepted it and made the situation lighter by making the public know of his fear of playing Federer.

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He said, “My hands were sweating but I was really happy to be able to live that experience”. Therefore, I enjoyed the situation despite the poor result. He also added, “I made people laugh at how I played and learned a lot from the match which helped him prepare for the next big tournaments. I think that’s why one of the first times I played him on Centre Court and Wimbledon, he destroyed me, because I couldn’t believe I was playing against my idol on one of the most iconic courts on tour,” Berrettini said.

“I grew up watching Federer and cheering for him. Watching him on TV whenever he was on. But then the day came when I realized I was playing the same tournament as he was in the same draw. So I couldn’t support him anymore from that point on. I have told Roger this story as we get on very well now,” Berrettini added.

Will Berrettini be playing the 2022 Australian Open?

Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini

There is still no clear confirmation about whether he would be participating in the upcoming Australian Open. He suffered a serious injury in the ATP World Tour Finals which forced him to withdraw and after which he said “I am destroyed”. However, recently there has been some good news for his fans as he has been seen training in Turin.

Also Read: Time to chase the Sun’ Dominic Thiem posts new training photos

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