Matteo Berrettini made history in Italian tennis and became the first Italian to reach the Wimbledon final in 2021. The Roman player has shown year after year that he can perform at his best on grass, a surface on which he has won four of the seven career titles.
Only Novak Djokovic prevented Berrettini from raising his first Grand Slam to heaven. “Djokovic is humanly alien. It’s amazing to see the drive he has after everything he’s done and the way he handles his body.Like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, but he is the one who is perhaps the furthest from what I am in terms of characteristics and that’s how I see him,” Berrettini explained in the episode of “Un giorno con…” aired on Denis Tarantello’s You Tube channel – Sinnaggagghiri – in collaboration with Red Bull.
The Italian has had the opportunity to face his idol, Federer, on two occasions. The first at Wimbledon in 2019, when he only managed to add five games; the second at the London ATP Finals of the same year. “I grew up rooting for Federer.
He was there when he stopped, it was a crazy moment. Everyone was crying. When I faced him the first time I didn’t get it. The second time I lost, but he was tougher. It was something very big, I never thought that he would be in this situation.
Federer is someone who always has the right word and always the right humor for any environment and situation. The elegant would be taken for granted. He basically has a very deep knowledge of himself and a great sensitivity.
Christmas? Pure energy, a bull.
Alexander Zverev reflects on Djokovic
With Novak Djokovic set to break Steffi Graf’s record for most weeks spent as the World No. 1 next week, Alexander Zverev has mixed feelings. “He’s surpassing Steffi, so as a German, obviously I always loved her having that record, but credits to Novak.
I think that shows how great he is,” Alexander Zverev said. “I’m sure that he’s going to break a few more records, to be honest. I’m not sure there are many left, but the ones that are left, maybe he will. I think over the last 10, 12 years he has absolutely dominated tennis.
There is a reason why he’s been consistently at the top of the game,” Zverev said. “That shows us with this record, from male or female tennis players, he’s going to be the most weeks at No. 1.”
