Inside Matteo Berrettini's infinite crisis: whose fault is it

Advertisemen

No defense of the title by Matteo Berrettini at the Queen's tournament, on the London lawns. The Italian tennis player, already in difficulty in the first match played in Stuttgart against Lorenzo Sonego, on his return from an abdominal injury, forfeited the tournament he won last year.

Berrettini said: "I am very sad to have had to withdraw from Queen's and not be able to defend the title I won here. I wish the tournament and everyone involved a full week of success. I can't wait to return next season."

A decision that surprises, but not entirely: against his countryman in Stuttgart, Matteo had burst into tears as he left the field after the defeat. The social message that he had sent right after that knockout in Stuttgart was therefore only an illusion.

In addition to the story of those tears, which transpired suffering from the difficult moment, he had sent a signal of recovery towards Queen's, but the recovery wasn't enough: "First of all, congratulations to Sonego for yesterday's victory, you are a special person and you deserve the best.

Yesterday was a tough day. Although I felt fit and ready for the game, it was pretty clear I wasn't. I've worked so hard to recover from my last injury and not having a dream comeback like last year's is hard to accept, but you have to be realistic and know that to reach my best level I'll need time and games.

I'm on the right track, I've done it in the past and I know the results will come again this time, sometimes it's hard to ask yourself for patience… I'm already focused to be ready for the Queen's tournament. Thank you so much for all the support and messages of encouragement I have received. You are special."

Inside Matteo Berrettini's infinite crisis: pressure, new girlfriend, expectations

What does his infinite crisis depend on? The more malignant say that Berrettini is now concentrating more on extra court factors, such as the new relationship with the Italian showgirl Melissa Satta. Many have (unjustly) attacked the woman, making her the scapegoat for Matteo's poor performances.

The truth is that the Italian is crushed by pressure and expectations. Two elements that exploded after the Wimbledon final lost against Novak Djokovic. Continuous injuries and horror performances.

I think Matteo simply gave in under the weight of many expectations, and that he still hasn't managed to get out of the spiral of negativity into which he has fallen.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3sVbfRe

Advertisemen

 Tennis