ATP Queen’s – “My goal? To win Wimbledon”: Berrettini, 10 days that change everything

The Roman’s satisfaction was all the greater on Sunday as he had not considered such a scenario. Not for lack of confidence in its possibilities, but because the sensations were far from optimal.

“There was a time, maybe a week or ten days before Stuttgart, when my hand hurt. Not the part where I injured myself, but the rest, the wrist for example. My hand wasn’t strong enough to allow me to strike like before, I was afraid it wouldn’t be up to the challenge. But my team gave me the confidence to carry on and face the moment. There was a time when I thought I would only play a few games if I was lucky, then look where I am now“, he confided in a press conference.

An obvious margin on grass despite doubts and bitterness

Before starting his great series in Stuttgart, Berrettini had only played one training set against a junior. A preparation far from ideal, not to say minimalist. Morale was therefore not necessarily in good shape, especially since he did not hide his frustration with the decision of the ATP to withdraw the points from Wimbledon, a decision synonymous with a guaranteed fall in the classification for him. , finalist last year (1200 points certainly lost).

But in his misfortune, the Italian had a chance: to inherit a rather lenient draw which allowed him to gain momentum. In Stuttgart he didn’t have to face a Top 20 player and needed three sets in three of his four matches to win. He also benefited from Andy Murray’s abdominal injury in the final to claim the trophy. His start to the tournament at Queen’s was not the most transcendent either, especially in the second round against the American Denis Kudla against whom he flirted with early elimination.

But mentally, he got away with it and got stronger, relying on his lethal weapons that give him a margin over most players on grass: his serve and his forehand. Over the matches, the legs also came back, as did this particularly effective backhand slice on grass. Result, an immaculate record on the surface this year – 9 wins for no defeat and 20 matches won out of 21 in two years – which also made him the first player in history to do the double at Queen’s in his first two tournament participations (2021 and 2022).

And to regain confidence, nothing beats victory. The apprehension linked to his injury and his three-month break gone, Berrettini now firmly believes that he can redo the blow of 2021… and even better. “Win Wimbledon? It’s definitely a goal, I know it won’t be easy or it won’t happen just because I want to. But I am a person who always tries to surpass myself. When I got injured, I did my best to recover as best I could. I’d be lying if I said winning Wimbledon isn’t my big goal, but obviously it won’t be easy at all.“, he assumed.

It now remains to match words with deeds, because after all, Berrettini hasn’t faced a single Top 10 in the last ten days. Not enough to make him doubt, however, and in the best of all worlds, a revenge against Novak Djokovic in the final would please him. “If I had the opportunity to play against him again in the final, it would be different. I remember last year, I couldn’t sleep much and barely ate, the tension and pressure was obviously high. It was a great moment, but if I were to reach the last act again this year, I would be more ready. I would know what to expect and what I’m going to feel, it’s all about experience.”