Berrettini, after separating from Francis Roig: "It has not been an easy decision"

Fernando Murciego | 28 Oct 2024 | 20.45

Matteo Berrettini explains his breakup with Francis Roig. Source: Getty

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The 2024 season is coming to an end, and it's time to take stock of certain players, such as Matteo Berrettini. After many injuries and periods of inactivity, the Italian trusted Francis Roig to accompany him during this season, resulting in ten months of evolution, overcoming challenges, and returning to the top. His three titles in Marrakech, Gstaad, and Kitzbühel highlight this as the calendar where he has lifted the most trophies, although it ended up being insufficient to continue the partnership with the Spanish coach. Yesterday, unexpectedly, the news spread on social media following a statement from Matteo.

"The separation from Francis (Roig) has not been an easy choice, but it was mutual," added Berrettini a few hours ago in statements collected by Sky Sports. "He has helped me a lot on this journey back, helped me improve, but it's true that we saw some things differently. It was a completely professional decision, so I truly thank him for everything he did for me; we have had a successful year. Now it's time to turn the page towards a new chapter, hopefully with the best waiting in the future," acknowledges the 28-year-old after a 2024 full of challenges and moments of joy.

Within his circle, another key figure worth mentioning is Alessandro Bega, who continued to serve as the assistant coach accompanying Matteo to many circuit events. "It's also important to commend Bega for the work he did with me this past year; without him, I probably wouldn't have overcome all the difficult moments I faced. However, the idea now is to find someone who can help us again; at the end of this season, we will sit down and try to study and understand the best path we can take for 2025," the Italian points out regarding his plans for the upcoming season.

Berrettini 🇮🇹🎙

"The separation from Roig was not an easy decision to make, but it was shared. Francisco helped me in my journey back and in improvement, but we saw things a bit differently.

It was a professional decision, I thank him for… pic.twitter.com/Acbt8j5g1e
— Giovanni Pelazzo (@giovannipelazzo) October 28, 2024

A FINAL CHALLENGE

Still, there is a dream in the mind of the Roman for this season, a chance to be part of the Italian Copa Davis team that will compete in Málaga at the end of November to defend the title twelve months later. The 'issue' – though a blessing for the country – is that as the world #36, he still has ahead of him Sinner, Musetti, and Cobolli, and he is being chased by others like Arnaldi, Darderi, or Sonego. Will Matteo have a place on that final list?

“The Copa Davis is a dream, a goal for me; it would be the icing on the cake of this comeback season," says the man who rose to World No. 6 two years ago. "The reality is that Italy is fortunate to have many options to choose from for the playoffs; we have a very deep roster where, among them, the best player in the world can be found. If I were ultimately called up, it would be a great honor; on my part, I will always be ready to play for Italy," he concludes with excitement.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Berrettini, tras separarse de Francis Roig: “No ha sido una decisión fácil”