By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday July 3, 2024
It takes a lot to knock Matteo Berrettini out of Wimbledon. How tough? Since 2019, he has only been defeated by players ranked No.1 (thrice) or No.2 (once) in the ATP rankings.
Second-ranked Roger Federer in the round of 16 in 2019; No.1 Novak Djokovic in the 2021 final; No.1 Carlos Alcaraz in the third round last year, and No.1 Jannik Sinner today.
The quality of his vanquishers was of no consolation to the 28-year-old Italian on Wednesday night at Wimbledon however. He entered the draw unseeded, at No.59 in the world, and drew the unlucky straw in the second round, just like he did last year (ranked 38), when he drew Alcaraz in the third round.
“It's always tough to be positive after moments like this,” Berrettini said after falling to Sinner, 7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 on Centre Court. “I think I played a great match against the No. 1 in the world, and I had many chances. So I guess what I have to take from this match is that the level is there, which is something that I also always believed, but until you really prove yourself, it's tough to feel it, I guess.”
Berrettini was impressive throughout the contest, and it was easy to see that he’s one of the top ten grass-courters in the world (as his 41-11 overall record on the surfaces attests), and mayb e higher. That said, the loss stings, and the frustration that comes with watching peak years disappear in a stream of tough draws and close losses has not been easy on Berrettini.
The bright spot? At last Berrettini is, finally, health.
“During the match I thought about the match, not about injuries, not about my body, not about these things,” he said. “At the end it was a matter of how many matches like this I played in the last year. I feel obviously proud of myself, but at the same time obviously a little bit sad for the result.”