You have probably heard his name quite a few times over the past year. From making his first appearance at the 2021 cinch Championships, to storming his way through to the final of The Championships, Wimbledon. We are of course talking about the mighty Matteo Berrettini.
And now, Berrettini has confirmed to RETURN to the 2022 edition of cinch Championships, in a bid to continue his reign for a second year in W14. In light of this, here’s our most recent Player in the Spotlight piece of the series – introducing Matteo Berrettini…
2021 proved to be explosive in the tennis world, as a somewhat ‘normal’ life returned for sport. From Novak Djokovic claiming the Australian Open title in January, to Matteo Berrettini making himself known on the courts of The Queen’s Club and claiming the Championship title, to Emma Raducanu storming through to the final at the US Open. It’s safe to say we have very high expectations for 2022!
In our Player in the Spotlight series, we look at some of the greatest sporting stars of the moment and take a deeper dive into their lives, including how they got into their sport, their rise to top and their career success so far.
Introducing Matteo Berrettini…
Rising to Stardom
Berrettini made his main ATP debut at the Italian Open in 2017 after receiving a wildcard. His first ATP title came shortly after in 2018 at the Swiss Open Gstaad, and he won the doubles title at the same event.
The Italian’s first taste of Grand Slam success was at the US Open in 2019 after a year of steady and strong progression in major tournaments, coming up against the likes of Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev. Berrettini reached the semi-finals after beating Gaël Monfils in a tight fifth set tiebreak, making him the first Italian male to progress to the US Open semi-final since 1977. It was then that Matteo faced one of the ‘Big Three’ Rafael Nadal, who had experience and the grit for the title on his side, which led him to become the 2019 champion.
Berretini’s second career top 5 victory was claimed in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters when he defeated Dominic Theim. After varied success during 2020, 2021 proved to be incredibly more prosperous for Matteo Berretini.
Berettini’s Big Title
After winning the Serbia Open in April, coming runner up in his first Masters 1000 final and reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, Berrettini claimed the biggest title of his career yet…
The cinch Championships is where magic was made for the Italian. On the beautiful Centre Court at the historic Queen’s Club in West Kensington, Berrettini who was making his debut at the club, defeated three British players on his journey to the final, including Andy Murray, Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie in the final.
Norrie was Berrettini’s first opponent to steal a set off the Italian who was having storming success at the tournament. This success did not diminish in the final and Matteo was crowned champion of the 2021 cinch Championships, becoming the first player to win at The Queen’s Club on debut since Boris Becker in 1985. At the same time, he became the first ever Italian to win the tournament.
It could only get better for Berrettini from this moment onwards. He went on to Wimbledon with the confidence and powerful performance needed to make his mark on some of the most prestigious tennis courts in the world. As the champion of the cinch Championships just a couple of weeks before, Berrettini soon became a threat to other players competing in The Championships. However, he was a rival to no one more so than to Novak Djokovic, his rival in the grand final - the last of the Serbian’s opponents to stand in his way of claiming yet another Grand Slam title. Whilst Djokovic did secure the winner’s crown, Berrettini was the first Italian ever to make it to a Wimbledon final, and certainly made his mark in the ATP world.
The Best of Berrettini
There are several strengths to Matteo Berrettini’s style of play, but there is one that truly stands out for us. His powerful, confident and destructive forehand is enviable yet strongly disliked by opponents on the receiving end, making their job harder and harder in the attempt to break the Italian down. Pounding over the net with perfectly executed topspin, his forehand combined with his serve provides the perfect mix of explosive and delicate touches to the ball to keep his opponents on their toes. Matteo thrives on the grass court, making him an exciting player at the cinch Championships and Wimbledon in the English tennis season, and he is surely only going to get bigger and better, hopefully adding a Grand Slam title to his name very soon.
At the age of 25 and currently sitting at World No.6, Berrettini is certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with. We can’t wait to see the Italian return to the courts in 2022! Watch him in action and guarantee your place at the iconic cinch Championships with award-winning hospitality – book now.
