In the first round, he will face Stefano Napolitano in an all-Italian derby. The Rome tournament will not be just another one for Matteo Berrettini, who has always held the Internationals close to his heart. Monday at 3 p.m. will be the first practice, on court 7 of the Foro Italico. A test to check his condition after the tonsillitis that forced him to withdraw from Madrid as well, to prepare for the Capital's tournament. Accompanying him on the Roman clay is Spanish coach Francisco Roig (for 18 years in Nadal's team), with whom he has been working since mid-December.
The Road to Rome and Matteo's Return
In Rome, Berrettini will play for the sixth time. His best result was the quarterfinals of the 2020 edition (when he was stopped by the Norwegian Ruud in the tie-break of the decisive set), held in September behind closed doors until the semifinals due to Covid.
The Roman tennis player returned to the tour in mid-March at the Challenger 175 in Phoenix, Arizona, where he reached the final, then defeated by the Portuguese Borges. Then in Miami, he was defeated in a comeback at the debut by the Scot Andy Murray. In Marrakech, the third tournament he played, he won the eighth trophy of his career, which many saw as his comeback, bringing him back into the top 100. It was his first in almost two years (the last one at Queen's in 2022).
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