THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2021

Matteo Berrettini

Press Conference

M. BERRETTINI/I. Ivashka

6-4, 6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Are you pleased with the level you've been showing here at Wimbledon, carrying on the level you showed at Queen's?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I'm pretty happy for the level, for the intensity, for my mindset over all the games and stuff. I was pretty focused. I had a game that I didn't serve that well in 5-2 in the second.

But, yeah, I'm happy. I feel like I'm not using a lot of energies because I won most of the matches three sets. It's really good for me if I look at the long run.

Q. Do you feel at this point in your career more ready for a big-stage success than before? You have more experience than ever, playing well on grass. How is your attitude towards this tournament?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I feel I am playing for sure the best tennis of my career. 2019 I was playing good, but everything was kind of new. I had to adjust a little bit.

Now I have more confidence for sure, more experience as well. I know I can achieve my best results like I'm doing quarters in Paris, quarters here. Obviously the tournament is not done yet. I'm really looking forward to achieving even more.

Q. What do the Euros mean to you? What are your thoughts about Italy's next game against Spain?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I mean, it means a lot for me and, like, all the Italians. Actually I'm also really, really happy for what happened last night for the Italian basketball team. Something happen that didn't happen in the last 17 years. I'm really happy for them.

Obviously I'm also really happy for the football team. I follow them when I can. I really like those two sports. I think overall we're achieving great results, all the sports. I repost a post of our president of the Olympic Committee, he said it's a record of participants - how you say - in the Olympic Games. It's something that makes me proud because I'm one of them. It's really a great moment for sport in Italy.

Q. What are your thoughts about the Italy-Spain match in particular?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I don't know. I'm not crazy expert in the way that I follow. I wouldn't know how they have to play or something. I just know that I really enjoy watching them. They're playing great. They're really entertaining. I really like to watch them and to support them when I can.

I don't know a lot of Spanish players. I know better kind of like the older generation. But Spain is always Spain. It's going to be a semifinal. Tough one. But I'm so happy that Italy is there.

Q. There's been a lot of talk about the rise of Italians on the ATP side. All of you guys are doing well. How much of an influence on you was the women on the WTA side, the golden generation that you had with Pennetta, Errani, Vinci? Did they have much of an influence?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, definitely. I remember watching them. I remember I was playing I think a future in Antalya in 2015 when Roberta and Flavia, they reach the final in the US Open. It was such a great moment for all of us. I think when you're playing, you're a playing tennis, it doesn't matter if it's a girl or a guy, you just follow. You just cheer for them.

I met Flavia a really long time ago when I used to practice in Rome. They always kind of help me because they were looking at me like the young one. Now obviously some of them they stop playing. Overall we have a great relationship. Also with Francesca Schiavone. I saw her in Madrid, then in Rome. She's still talking to my coach. We text a little bit. It's really nice.

The environment, it's nice. I think it help us for sure.

Q. When you say when you were younger they were helping you, in what way specifically?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I mean, showing us that everything is possible because they showed us that four players of the same generation, they were top seven I think. Seven, six, five, and four. They reached finals in slams. They won slams, 1000s, with No. 1 in the world winning slams, career Grand Slams. They are girls, like us that they grew up loving tennis, they were actually practicing, some of them, in Rome.

They show us the things that they achieved we could think about achieving them. That's how they help us. Obviously there is a different age, so it's a little bit tougher to practice with them. Actually I remember a couple times happened that I practiced with Flavia when I was 16.

Q. Back to the football. Do you take inspiration from what your countrymen are doing? You do realize Italy could break a lot of Englishmen's hearts if they keep going?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I think it's really nice to watch the matches. Since I was a kid, I was watching the Nazionale, the Italian team, the football team. It's something that unify us like nothing.

I would say also for me it's a big thing the basketball team. Football, for our history, the way we are, it's something different.

I wish, and I think eventually also for tennis it's going to be like this because there are so many guys. Like we said before, we are achieving great results. I think we're bringing tennis also in Italian houses, which is great.

I mean, nothing. It's great. Also we're in a bubble. There was four Italians also guys. I actually watched the match against Belgium with Felix. It's nice. It's so nice because you can tell that the group is really close.

Q. Mentioning Felix, one of the players you could play in the next round. Talk about him and Zverev. Are you going to watch Ajla now later today?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, they have to play. Both players are really great players. I played just once against Felix, was one of the best match I ever played on grass. We were playing both great tennis. It was so tough to beat him.

I played Sascha more times. He's really tricky. He's playing great. Also he won Madrid against me. He's achieving also great results in the slams. Definitely it's going to be a tough match.

But I'm ready. I'm feeling good and I'm feeling confident.

And definitely I'm going to watch Ajla, yeah.