UNITED CUP

December 28, 2022

Vincenzo Santopadre

Matteo Berrettini

Lorenzo Musetti

Martina Trevisan

Lucia Bronzetti

Camila Rosatello

Andrea Vavassori

Marco Bortolotti

Team Italy

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with a question for all. How excited are you to play this event with all your teammates here?

CAMILA ROSATELLO: Yes, I'm so excited to be here, to be part of this team. I love it. I hope that the team can be good, yes.

ANDREA VAVASSORI: Yeah, it's really nice to be here with many friends. It's my second experience as a team member. I played here in Australia in Melbourne in ATP Cup with Matteo. We reached the final with Vincenzo as captain. A great experience, one of the best of my career so far.

Looking to do our best. I think we have a great team with great guys. We are friends from I think the beginning of our career. Will be great to share moments together.

LUCIA BRONZETTI: I am very happy, too, to be a part of this team. We are ready to fight. We are ready to give our best. Yeah, see you tomorrow.

MARCO BORTOLOTTI: I'm also very excited and can't wait to start. Very proud of the team, to be in this team. Can't wait for tomorrow.

LORENZO MUSETTI: Yeah, for me it's our first meeting. It's nice I think to share a lot of team member memories, of course with friends. I think it's a great event. It's the first time, so we are happy to be part of it.

Yeah, I think it's going to be tough from the first match. Tomorrow won't be easy, but we have a good team, strong captain, and I think we can do pretty well. We are confident about it. We are looking forward to go to Sydney and try to lift the trophy.

MARTINA TREVISAN: Yeah, I'm very happy to be here. For me it's first experience. I'm learning a lot during this day with all the team members. So I'm very looking forward to start tomorrow. I will be the one, the first on court, so I'm already nervous.

But we are ready to fight all together. That's the important.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: As everybody said, I'm really happy to be here. It's a unique competition, so it's special to be here, guys and girls, playing together for the same trophy. It's really exciting.

Like I said yesterday, unfortunately the captain is not the best we can have, but we're going to figure out during the matches (laughter).

No, it's great I can experience something like this with my coach, with my good friends. Yesterday at dinner we were thinking about when we started. We were 12. We knew each other since a long time. It's really good to be here.

Yeah, like Lorenzo said, it's going to be tough but we are ready.

CAPTAIN SANTOPADRE: I think everybody say everything. I really agree with everybody. Of course, not with Matteo (laughter). Unfortunately we have this player with us. We have to share moments together.

No, I'm really happy and excited because I think team matches are always nice for us to share some moments together and to enjoy.

Q. Matteo, there's so much strength in the Italian team, the rise of Italian tennis, with everybody's success. What is the secret ingredient? Why is it coming together at this point?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: That's a tough question to answer. I think it's a mix of reasons. First of all, it's luck. I mean, some players, just some kids, they have to be good. We always had great talent. Right now we're working in a different direction. Our mindsets are different. We're always kind of helping each other to reach our best level.

Having guys like Lorenzo, Jannik, Lorenzo Sonego, the other players, for me it's really helpful. You get better. You practice together. You study. I think that's one of the reasons.

Then I can talk for myself, the federation was a great help for me. I think they changed the way they were working. I think that helped me. I think Lorenzo, as well. We're grateful for that.

Then I was lucky enough to find this guy.

Q. Martina, there are a lot of strong teams here in Brisbane. What is the unique ingredient Italy has? What will be the thing that helps your squad hopefully get to Sydney?

MARTINA TREVISAN: We know each other. So we are a great team. We love each other. We are learning every day from them, from my side, learning every day from others.

I think it's one of the key that can make from other part.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: The difference, make the difference.

Q. What are some of the lessons or things you are learning being in this competition?

MARTINA TREVISAN: I mean, I play with the women for the Billie Jean King Cup, but I never play with Matteo, Lorenzo, other men. For me it's very exciting because I'm not used to get in the team with the men.

I'm learning a lot, so it's a new experience and I like to enjoy it.

Q. Lorenzo, how interesting is it for you and how important is it for tennis for men and women to be playing together representing your country?

LORENZO MUSETTI: As Matteo and Martina said, it's nice. It's the first competition for myself. I never played, just once in Olympic Games, junior Olympic Games, that I played doubles mixed, but I never had the opportunity.

It's going to be our first time all together. I think it's going to be fun even to share like the bench because I think one of the nice thing and fun things, for example, ATP Cup had, the bench was on court. Was not just the player that was playing, was all the team. The whole sport was feeling it, the match, no? I think from the crowd, you can feel it. I think even for the fans it's nice to watch.