THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 11, 2021

Matteo Berrettini

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/M. Berrettini

6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It's been an incredible achievement on your part to reach your first major final at Wimbledon. Obviously you're disappointed with the outcome. But what positives and what highlights do you take away from what you've achieved?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I mean, it's been like a month on grass really, really great. I won Queen's. I didn't expect to win there. I reached the finals here. Is something that, like I said after I won the semis, didn't even dream about this because it was even too much.

Obviously now, like you said, I'm disappointed, I'm pissed because I lost, because I think I didn't play my best match, but I have to say it's thanks to Novak in a way that he brought me, made me play in this way. That's his strength probably. That's why he's one of the best that ever did, you know?

Congrats to him.

Obviously for me it's been unbelievable week, two weeks. But I know that I can do it. I know that I can win this title. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it, but I know I can do it. So that's what I'm going to do in the next weeks, in the next months and years: try to lift the trophy.

Q. You had strapping on your left thigh. Was there an issue before the match? Had you had any strains? Talk about the opening sets. Seemed there was a bit of tension in your service game.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I mean, I have a pain on my leg. Luckily it's nothing dangerous, nothing that I -- for sure I had to take care about, but I didn't lose for that.

Like I said, congrats to Novak.

We decided to tape it because it would help. It actually helped. It's been, like I said, a long month. I came here in London straight to Paris. I played so many matches, great intensity, best-of-five. When you reach the finals, you feel your body that is kind of falling apart, but it's normal.

It wasn't an issue. Just something that I had to think about a little bit more, but I didn't lose for this.

Q. Given your relationship with Novak which has been happening for all this time, would you like to be able to win your first Grand Slam in a match against him?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I mean, I would take the win against anyone (smiling).

Obviously now beating him, it means to be, like, the best player in the world right now, not just because he's No. 1 but because he showed week after week that he's the best player. He's winning the big titles. He's really the toughest player to beat.

Probably it would mean even more if you're able to win against Novak in the finals. The most important thing for me is that right now I'm losing -- obviously you can lose to anyone, but I'm losing against the best players in the world. In Paris I lost against him, and he won the tournament. In Queen's I won, and then I lost against him again here.

It means that my level is growing. It means my weapons and my tennis in general is growing. That's the right path. That's the right thing that I'm doing.

In order to win against him, I have to improve more. Like he said, he was losing against Rafa and Roger, and thanks to them he improved. That's what I'll try to do. Thanks to him, I'm going to try to get better.

Q. What you were just saying there, were you inspired by Novak in the sense that not only has he reached Roger and Rafa's record, but he had to do it by learning against them, losing to them at the beginning of his career? Do you feel privileged you get to face these guys as well, you get these difficult tests and probably can grow as a player?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, it's an honor for me. I mean, I grew up watching these guys battling and fighting for the big titles. Now I'm the guy that is trying to take the titles away from them. US Open I lost against Rafa, and he won the title. Like I said in Paris, quarters against Novak...

It means that I'm there. It means that I deserve to be here. I feel it. Today, again, Novak was the better player on court, but I'm getting closer. Every match that I'm playing against them helps me to get closer. Obviously they're improving. It's tougher and tougher to get there.

I just need matches like this. I just need experiences like this. That's what we said to my team. Obviously, also this kind of anger, disappointment that I have now, it's really helpful, is going to be helpful for the next events.

Q. Can you sort of try and say the three or four things that make Novak so tough for so many? What kind of pressure does he put on you?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: It's tough to say, like you said. But I think first of all, obviously the way he neutralize like my weapons, my serve and my forehand. The way he covers the court, it's unbelievable. It's something that I never experienced. He's the only player that makes me feel like this. That's why I said I have to get better in order to not feel like that.

I would say also over the years his serve improved a lot. He's really precise. He's really hitting the line when he wants to. This is something, especially on this surface, really important.

I would say the tactical, tactic-wise, he's probably the best player together with Roger. He's studying your game, and then he kind of adjusting during the match. It's not something really easy to do.

Then also the fourth thing is that he played his 30th finals today and I played my first one. For sure he knew how to handle all the feelings and emotions that he had. This is something that it's normal. That's why I said I need matches like this.

But again, congrats to him. Really looking forward to face him in the big stages like this.