In recent weeks, much has been said about the new love story between Matteo Berrettini and the showgirl Melissa Satta.. Berrettini’s attitude, according to former legend Nicola Pietrangeli, is influencing the Italian tennis player.
The two-time Roland Garros winner dropped a strong hint at both Berrettini and Adriano Panatta after receiving the sporting career award from the foreign press in Rome. Pietrangeli said in words collected by the newspaper La Repubblica: «It seems to me that he dedicates himself more to advertising than to tennis.
He’s a good guy, but he’s a bit like Adriano Panatta was: fantastic from the waist up, but the legs. Will Jannik Sinner win a Grand Slam? If he knew, he would bet on it. Sinner is the best Italian tennis player at the moment; he sings one way, I sang another.
Compared to me, he has one advantage: he’s German!»
Matteo Berrettini’s problems in the season
Matteo Berrettini’s 2022 was unfortunately conditioned by injuries. The Italian tennis player had to give up some of the best tournaments on the circuit and missed the entire season on clay.
After the foot problem that occurred at the ATP 250 event in Naples last October, the Roman returned to the courts directly in 2023 in the United Cup. Berrettini beat two top ten players, Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz, to reach the final with Italy in the new team event.
At the Australian Open, however, he was knocked out in the first round by Andy Murray in an incredible match that ended in the fifth set and he missed a comfortable backhand on the match point he had available. Matteo Berrettini should return to the court directly at the Acapulco ATP 500 tournament scheduled from February 27 to March 4.
In fact, the Italian is not registered for any of the events that will be played next week and has decided not to play on clay as he did last year, when he participated in the Rio Open in Brazil.
