DAVIS CUP FINALS

September 18, 2022

Matteo Berrettini

Team Italy

Press Conference

M. BERRETTINI/E. Ymer

6-4, 6-4

Italy - 1

Sweden - 0

THE MODERATOR: Matteo, you missed last year Turin, Davis Cup Finals. This year you will be everywhere, Bologna, Malaga. How are you feeling about that?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I'm feeling happy. Obviously the main goal was to qualify for Malaga. We did it after the first two matches.

In the locker room today we were talking. We said the job wasn't done yet. We still want to make a statement for ourselves first and then to the others that when we play for Davis Cup, we give everything, especially when we play in front of so many people, Italians, that they're here to support us.

Yeah, we're happy. I'm really happy obviously for myself, but for the team as well.

THE MODERATOR: How are you feeling physically for this last part of the year coming for you, for the Finals in Malaga?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I'm working really hard to be healthy. It's been a tough year. But I never really let myself down. Like, I try to fight against everything that was happening to me. Sometimes it was bad luck, you cannot do anything about it.

I can feel these kind of feelings on court, it's going to be worth it, whatever happens. So really happy for the job that I'm doing with my team, for myself obviously. It's not easy when you feel you cannot do what you love. It's something stronger than you stopping you.

I'm really proud of myself and my team. I think I showed it on the court, as well.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were just saying about wanting to make a statement. Is the fact that Italy has one of the strongest teams in the competition adding to that point? Because you're such a strong team, you feel it puts a bit more pressure on you?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: No. It's just that we want to show to ourselves and everybody that we're a strong team. When we step in the court, we give everything. We try to win every match possible. That's the way we see it.

Also it's true that I'm 26 years old, but I didn't play many Davis Cup matches. It's important for me to feel this kind of atmosphere, to get used to it, because it's something special, it's something different.

Having also the captain on the bench, it's not something that we used to it. The more I play, the better it is for me. Yeah, it's going to be helpful for sure for Malaga.