Matteo Berrettini pays tribute to Novak Djokovic: ‘He’s a cyborg’

Matteo Berrettini has had many physical problems in recent years and has not been able to stay at the top of the men’s tour. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist had dropped in the ATP rankings last year and wondered if he still had the strength to continue playing tennis at the highest level.

Matteo’s body has been subjected to many injuries and it has not been easy for him to cope with these mentally difficult situations. The Italian player has been working hard in recent months, as well as replacing his regular coach Vincenzo Santopadre of Francisco Roig. Berrettini had very good results in 2024, with three ATP titles (respectively in Marrakech, Gstaad and Kitzbuhel). The former Top 10 player also reached the final in Stuttgart, where he lost to Jack Draper after winning the first set.

The Italian dreamed of making it far to the Wimbledon Championshipswhere he reached the final three years ago, but his compatriot had to give up Jannik Sinner in the second round. The match between Berrettini and Sinner on Centre Court was certainly one of the most spectacular of this edition of the Championships.

Berrettini lost to Rune

Matteo did not excel in Cincinnati this week and was eliminated on his debut by Higher Rune. Berrettini will not be among the top favorites at the 2024 US Open. Matteo Berrettini’s run at the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati is over. After winning the 250 tournaments in Gstaad and Kitzbuhel, the Italian tennis player stops directly in North America, where he is defeated in the first round by the young Danish talent Holger Rune.

Once again – as happened at Wimbledon – Berrettini pays for the lessons that forced him to face a Top 20 and in case of victory would take him to the third round, probably against the Spanish champion Carlos Alcaraz. Condition not yet 100%, Matteo starts well and knows how to win the first set, then collapses at a distance and Rune dominates the second partial. In the third and decisive set Berrettini starts badly, Holger breaks through immediately and achieves an important victory. Even the Dane has not experienced an easy moment and this victory is moral.

Despite the defeat, Matteo Berrettini still wins an important and remarkable record by beating his compatriot Jannik Sinner. Berrettini won 21 consecutive sets on tourbreaking Sinner’s previous record of 20. While Matteo retired in the first round of Cincinnati, Jannik managed to win instead despite a rather precarious situation. The Italian ace adjusted the American Michelsen in straight sets and had to play extra matches to improve his preparation. In the round of 16, the world number one will face the Australian Jordan Thompson, who won in straight sets against Sebastian Baez.

Matteo pays tribute to Djokovic

Just before the start of the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati, Berrettini was a guest on the podcast of the former American champion Andy RoddickDuring the interview, Matteo paid tribute to Novak Djokovic: “When you talk about Novak and what he has achieved, it is unbelievable. It gives me goosebumps. I don’t know how he does it. He is a cyborg because at 37 he is still playing at this level. Personally I don’t know if I will still be playing at 37, because of my injury history, I don’t know.”

Berrettini also reflected on the great moment of Italian tennis: “Jannik, Lorenzo and the others are still so young. When I was their age, I wasn’t even in the top 100! In Italy, we live in a fantastic time. Football is the national sport. But now, when there is an important match like me against Jannik or Lorenzo, when Musetti plays for the bronze medal, or Jannik in the final of the Australian Open, the country stands still for a moment. And then we also won the Davis Cup, which really had an impact.“

Matteo was also one of the main actors in the Netflix series ‘Breaking point‘: “Personally, it was a good experience. Before I did it, I thought, if I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it all the way. I’m not going to cut anything unless I’m too pissed off and don’t want to talk to anyone, not even my coach. I don’t like cameras around me, but I thought, you guys can see it. My room was a mess.”

Berrettini will have to hope for a favourable draw at the 2024 US Open, where he reached the semi-finals in 2019. During last year’s edition, Matteo suffered a serious ankle injury and was forced to miss the last part of the season. The Italian will try to be among the top favourites at the Australian Open 2025.