Matteo Berrettini has proven doubters wrong throughout his career as he looks back at those who questioned his ability in the sport when he was just a young boy.
The 30-year-old has been one of his country’s top and most well-known players over the past few years. A finalist at the 2021 Wimbledon championships, he has been ranked as high as sixth in the world and has won 10 ATP titles during his career. Although it hasn’t been plain sailing for Berrettini, who has spent weeks on the sidelines with various injury setbacks.
His return to the French Open this season marks the first time he has played at the event since 2021. Surgery on his right hand in 2022, followed by fitness issues over the next three years, resulted in him missing the Grand Slam. Injury continues to frustrate Berrettini, who had to deal with abdominal issues back in January. However, he still has the ability to be among the best when he is fit.
Taking to the court at Roland Garros for his third round match, Berrettini outlasted Francisco Comesana 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(15-13) in a marathon encounter that lasted more than five hours. The victory moves him into the last 16 of a major for the first time since 2023 and secures his re-entry into the top 80 in the live rankings.
“I’ve always said that this sport requires time, momentum, and the confidence you build through matches and training,” Berrettini told Italian media on Saturday.
“Many times I felt that my body was there but my mind wasn’t, or that my mind was there but my body wasn’t, and it’s tough, because it takes a lot of things to play your best tennis and compete at that level.
“At the end of last year, when I played in the Davis Cup, I was in great physical shape, and at the start of this year I had a great preseason. Unfortunately, I hurt my abdomen again in Australia, and you start the season with doubts: “Will it hold up?”
“I worked hard to get out of that mindset; now I trust my body, and all the matches I’ve played this year—from Challengers to Masters 1000s—have given me confidence and brought me here to achieve this result.”
Heading into Roland Garros, there were few signs that Berrettini would make it through to the second week based on his results. In six clay events played across the ATP and Challenger Tour’s, he won back-to-back matches in two of them. Although he did beat Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 in a very strange match at the Monte Carlo Masters.
So where does Berrettini’s drive to defy the odds come from?
“People already had doubts about me when I was playing in the Under-12s: they’d look at me and say, “This kid weighs 20 kilos.” I had the worst physical test results in Tirrenia history; no one would have bet a single euro on me, so I’m pretty used to that kind of outside judgment.” He explained.
“The internal struggle was harder to manage because I never stopped believing in my tennis, but there were moments when I didn’t have much faith in my body.
“I’d think, “Maybe I can’t do this with the consistency it requires,” and doubts start creeping in.
“With Thomas, right from the start, he gave me the confidence I was lacking: every day he tells me I’m one of the strongest players in the world—he doesn’t say it just for the sake of saying it, but because he sees it.”
Earlier this year, Berrettini hired former player Thomas Enqvist as his coach. The 52-year-old Swede was runner-up at the 1999 Australian Open, reached a high of No. 4, and won 19 ATP titles.
“He says I have incredible ball quality, that when I’m feeling good I serve well and I’m a strong player. I don’t take this for granted, because it comes from someone who’s only been with me for a short time; he saw me at the Davis Cup—that’s where we met—but he’s always given me incredible confidence,” Berrettini said of Enqvist.
“He’s always believed in me, and today, after losing the third set, he told me: “The fourth set is ours,” he kept giving me confidence. I think this goes beyond forehands and backhands.”
Berrettini will next play Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who stunned world No.1 Jannik Sinner in the second round before winning his next match against Martin Landaluce in just under six hours – the third longest in French Open history.
