THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 8, 2023

Matteo Berrettini

Press Conference

M. BERRETTINI/A. Zverev

6-3, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference of Matteo Berrettini.

Questions.

Q. We spoke to Sascha. He said he thinks you can now win the tournament, can beat anyone. Do you feel like that?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I thank him already.

Yeah, I mean, I have to say I felt really good, but I know this is something I don't have to think about right now, especially because I had to remind myself where I was coming from before this tournament.

The attitude is going to be the same. Every match is really tough. Today I played good, but doesn't mean anything in terms of winning the tournament.

I'm here enjoying every second out there. I have a really tough match, probably one of the toughest on the draw, on Monday. Now let's think about this. Later on let's see.

Q. What were you expecting when you turned up at Wimbledon and how much have you surprised yourself with the level you have?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I wasn't sure even if I was going to play. I flew here and I said maybe the atmosphere is going to help me a little bit. I was really not sure about it. Not because I didn't want to. In order to play a slam, you have to be ready physically, emotionally, mentally. There are many things.

The will is not enough. But then I have to say I did a great job with my team. We worked really hard. They let me decide. They told me, like, Has to be your decision.

Few days before, I thought, like, I'm not ready. But then I missed too many events in the last years. I couldn't leave this place without trying. That's what I said to myself.

Like I said on court, I think this place has something special. It must be this place. I feel kind of energy I don't feel anywhere else. So yeah.

Q. Is that COVID related, why you could not play? Are you still suffering from the aftereffects?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: No, no.

Q. I was wondering what the problem was.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I struggled with COVID last year, then it took me some weeks to get to the shape that I used to be. After that, it was all good.

Q. How were the lows from the past year? How do they compare to other parts of your career? Have you learnt anything about yourself?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: It never happened that I played in a slam so many days in a row. If you really look at it, I didn't play like best-of-five sets every day. I played like one set, then two sets. I was coming from not playing at all. It was intense.

I think in a way it helped me. In another way not having a day off, it felt like I needed it. My coach was joking around. It was like, Unfortunately, tomorrow we gonna play.

I think I've learned best-of-five, it's a long match. I lost the first set against Lorenzo. I was really upset. I thought, You came back many times in your career. That kind of attitude helped me not to get too angry and emotional about that tiebreak. Yeah, I'm here.

What I learned? I think definitely it's, like, when you're enjoying doing something, it comes way easier and better.

Q. How have the lows from last year compared with other parts of your career?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: What do you mean 'lows'?

Q. Being frustrated, upset.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Like I said on court, if they told me few weeks ago you're going to play five days in a row in Wimbledon, I would have signed with my blood.

I really spent, like, days in bed thinking about the tournaments that I missed, the injuries that I had, sadness that I was feeling. I was like, I have to come back and feeling alive when I play.

That's the energy I have right now. Doesn't matter how tired I am. In the morning, go there, enjoy. I find that extra energy that maybe few years ago I gave for granted.

Q. This feeling that you have, the energy, do you feel that can help you when you take on Carlos? How much do you relish that challenge?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I have to say, I'm not seeded, but it's a tough draw (smiling).

In a way it's what you want, right? You want to play against the best players in the world. Playing against Carlos, it's always been like a pleasure, a fight, a great fight. I remember playing in Australia against him five sets. Three sets both times Vienna and Rio.

We always give our best. He's No. 1 right now, so he's the best player in the world. It's going to be a great challenge. But I'm so glad that I have this kind of, like, opportunity right now.

I remember watching him play Roland Garros from my TVs. Now it's going to be me against him. I'm really happy for that. I think this thing, yeah, is going to help me to go there and enjoy and find that extra energy that I was talking about.