Berrettini changes his mindset: "At this point, I just want to truly enjoy tennis"

Carlos Navarro | 24 Feb 2026 | 16.42

Berrettini and a tough confession about his present. Source: Getty

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There was a time when the name Matteo Berrettini on fast courts, would intimidate a large part of the circuit. Here was a man of towering stature, a sort of 'gentle killer' possessed with a monstrous first serve, capable of pushing you out of the court in an instant whenever he found the inverted forehand and his first serves were firing. That man, in his physical and tennis maturity, reached the Wimbledon final in 2021, spurred on by grass that suited his strengths perfectly.

Who would have thought that Matteo would be approaching his thirties and has not shone with that intensity since then. A star that faded due to a condition that led him down the path of torture: injuries, physical discomfort, illnesses. Unfortunately, that heavy machinery always found bumps to be easily displaced, a bodywork as powerful as it was fragile that has led the Italian to grapple with the flip side of tennis before even turning 30.

He will reach that age in this 2026, a season where he admits that he has shifted his focus. His attitude, clearly, is very different. He no longer starts as a top favorite in 250 tournaments: he is just one more player, trying to enjoy the journey, letting objectives come without pressure. In the ATP Santiago 2026, his name carries the most prestige due to past achievements, but he is by no means the main title contender, a role he understands and embraces.

He confessed in an interview with El Mercurio, leaving an honest reflection about his change in perspective. He made it clear that he no longer feels as much pressure, and at this point in his career, his goal is simply to "truly enjoy tennis, to fight alongside my family and friends, to enjoy everything I have achieved". The caveat follows: he emphasizes that he is nearly "thirty years old, but with many injuries", which requires him to be patient in the process. "I have to allow myself time to try to return to the level I once had," he concludes.

Berrettini passionately advocates for the South American tour and urges the ATP to maintain its place on the calendar

Matteo's roadmap to return to the top of the rankings has been somewhat different than expected. He moved away from the European hard courts and the Middle East, where he achieved a significant victory last year (against Djokovic in Doha), to bet on the South American clay-court tour, where the results have not been as positive as he might have hoped. Two wins and two losses, a balance that shows he is still early in his attempt to return to the elite, but a decision he does not regret: his defense of the South American tour is strong, speaking clearly of how comfortable he feels in Argentina, Brazil, or Chile.

"I love playing on clay, the warmth, I have family in Rio: I always wanted to play in South America", notes the Italian before his debut in Santiago, the final event of a tour mistreated by the ATP and which Matteo himself advocates for. "Speaking personally, I believe South America deserves a circuit with top-level tournaments, like what exists today. People have fervor for this sport, and there are high-level players: in Buenos Aires and Rio, the stadiums were full, and I know the same will happen here," asserts Berrettini, concluding his plea with a very clear mantra: the audience, the atmosphere on the court, and human warmth are factors that the ATP must consider when organizing major tournaments... and South America meets all the requirements for this.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Berrettini cambia el chip: "Llegados a este punto, solo quiero disfrutar de verdad del tenis"