The former Italian tennis player Corrado Barazzutti talked about the performance of the Italians in the Grand Slam tournaments in an exclusive interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. Focusing especially on Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner.
Barazzutti analyzed: “Berrettini came very close to Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner is a top player if he’s doing well and Lorenzo Musetti has large margins. Within three years, I’m sure, we’ll be back celebrating a Grand Slam. Rather, I hope that in the Cup Davis this year our team is all doing well: I think the time has come to stop leaving us heroes of the 1976 victory alone.
My rivalry with Adriano Panatta? Respect has never been lacking. I had a chance with everyone except Bjorn Borg.” Berrettini. after the defeat suffered in the first round of the Australian Open, he will return to the field at the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco.
Sinner, on the other hand, confirmed his presence at the Open 13 Provence. The South Tyrolean has won the Montpellier tournament and played in the final in Rotterdam in the last two weeks.
Barazzutti, Berrettini and Sinner
On 19 February, Corrado Barazzutti turned 70.
The former tennis player from Udine won five tournaments in his career, reached seventh position in the ATP ranking and won the only Davis Cup in the history of Italy in 1976. Barazzutti has twice reached the semifinals in a Grand Slam tournament: the first at the US Open in 1977 and the second at Roland Garros in 1978.
The only two Azzurri who have added at least one Major to their palmarès have been Nicola Pietrangeli( 1959-1960 Roland Garros) and Adriano Panatta( 1976 Roland Garros) . In recent years, the Italian men’s movement has experienced exponential growth and the dream of all fans is precisely to see a blue player establish himself again at Grand Slam level.
Matteo Berrettini is the tennis player who has come closest to the coveted goal. The Italian reached the final at Wimbledon in 2021, but lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
