NITTO ATP FINALS

November 14, 2021

Matteo Berrettini

Pala Alpitour, Torino

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/M. Berrettini

7-6, 1-0 (ret.)

Q. Tough situation for you tonight. However, that first set, what was it like to play in front of such a passionate crowd here in Turin?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: It was unbelievable, the atmosphere was one of the best that I ever felt in my life and that's why probably I feel so bad right now. The thought of not finishing the match, that I wasn't able to finish the match is killing me.

So it's just really tough to face it, obviously I really hope it's nothing bad, but today I couldn't play, I couldn't finish it and I really wanted to. I really wanted to enjoy every second, that's what we said at the beginning with my team and the worst thing that could happen, happened.

So it's really tough to look at it like looking for something positive, but I guess that's tennis, I don't know, I just -- I don't know.

Q. I wanted to talk to you about your injury. When the first started game did you already have any discomfort or was it something that happened suddenly?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I didn't feel anything and then I felt it just like in that serve in the last game and it's something that it's mentally really tough for me, because I used to have like an injury close to the same area, so it's really tough for me to go and play over it.

Also, because I don't know what it is. So first I have to figure out what it is and then mentally if I see that it's nothing really big, then maybe I can play.

But like this it wasn't possible and it's, obviously it's killing me. It's probably the worst day that I had on a tennis court in my life.

Q. It felt very similar, as you said, to the injury you had earlier this year, because you seemed to know it instantly that you were in trouble. How much hope do you think you have that you'll be able to play some more here in Turin?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I don't know if it's the same thing. The adrenaline I was playing and I just felt like around the same area, in the same kind of like serve, so I got scared.

In this kind of injury the mental part is probably the most important one. I remember coming back from that injury, in order to serve full power I had to say to myself to be brave because it's not easy when you've felt something that sharp.

So right now I really hope that it's not that big, but it was just impossible to keep playing. Obviously I was feeling it today again, I wasn't able to finish, but hopefully with my team and with the doctors tomorrow I'm going to do some checks and I really hope it's not going to be something that is going to make me not play the next two matches.