US OPEN

September 6, 2022

Matteo Berrettini

Press Conference

C. RUUD/M. Berrettini

6-1, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tough luck today. Just from your perspective, what did you make of the start that he had, that you had, and what was troubling you the most with his game today?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I think he had the best start possible, and I helped him. He played a really good match, and I played a really bad match.

Really nothing I can say more than the worst day of the tournament probably in the most important moment. Nothing today. I mean, I fought through, but it wasn't enough. I wasn't feeling my game. I wasn't feeling my mindset. I think he was feeling really good.

Congrats to him. I told him. He also said he played unbelievable match. So, yeah, nothing I can say more.

Q. What is the strategy when you find yourself up against somebody who can do nothing wrong? Even your best shots are coming back and landing on your baseline?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I think it's, like I said, it was both of us. He was playing really good, but I was playing not really good (smiling).

So it was kind of looking I think for him even better, because I was really bad. I didn't check my percentage of serve. I didn't check, like, the stats, but my game wasn't there. Obviously when you are up a break and a player like him that is really solid, he started to take confidence, as well, he started hitting even stronger and harder.

I actually started to, in the third, or actually end of the second, started to put more energy in what I was doing, even though I felt like not really good. I fought through, and he played a little bit worse. You have to find the balance between the energy and the game.

Even when I was up 5-2 I wasn't feeling that great, and I think you could see it in the next games. When you are feeling like that, the only thing you can do, you have to fight. That's what I tried to do. But I guess it wasn't enough.

Q. You mentioned the other day that I think you were having trouble with your mindset early in the match. You felt like it, and you just mentioned before that mindset wasn't quite there. Do you have any idea what might have contributed to that on both days, or even is it the sort of thing where with Rafa going out people start looking ahead toward the opportunities? Sort of curious what was going through your mind.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I mean, every match is different. Every day is different. Today was the first day that I played with the roof closed, so the conditions were different. It took me a little bit to adjust.

I think, I don't know, at the beginning of the tournament I was feeling that I didn't have a lot of matches, you know. So you never know where your level is. Even though you know you can play a high level, today I think he was serving first game of the match, and I felt like I could broke him there and I didn't.

I was, Okay, I'm in the game, and then double fault and then, you know, down a break in 30 seconds. After 20 minutes I was 5-0. I don't know how really.

I don't know what happened. I'm gonna let pass few days, and then I'm gonna think about what happened. Now is too soon. But something happened, and I'm really not happy about it.

Q. Does it feel to you that Casper is a lot better hard court player than the last time you faced him, which was two years ago on hard courts?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, definitely, definitely. Overall, even on clay, everywhere. I mean, he's possibly going to be No. 1 in the world. He's play definitely higher level of tennis, but I think, I mean, for myself, as well, I'm playing better than two years ago. Today wasn't really the day, but I think I improve some things.

Yeah, he deserved to win. He deserved the year that he's having, really solid, he played really well on clay obviously but on hard he missed the first slam of the season I remember.

Congrats to him. He's having unbelievable season. Happy for him. He's a good guy.

Q. You just mentioned how much Casper has improved. Would you be able to elaborate on what in his game stands out on what he's improved the most?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I think his return, definitely. Also his serve. He's able to mix it up. I think he was struggling when the ball was coming a little bit faster. At the beginning, I would say, like me, he needed little more time, like, to release his power, and now I feel like he adjust and he's stronger. Especially on the backhand side, he never like lose the court, and with the forehand he's really effective, really precise.

Yeah, just playing and playing, like we push each other to get better and better. And I think, yeah, he's more complete, like, in his strokes and stuff.