Italian tennis professional Matteo Berrettini described himself as having a “psycho” mindset when it comes to battling back from injuries after defeating Marton Fucsovics 6-7(2) 7-5 6-1 6-2 on Monday at the French Open, his first time competing in the tournament since 2021.
The player, who previously held the world number six ranking, has faced ongoing health challenges that caused him to miss eight of the last 18 Grand Slam tournaments since finishing second to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon five years ago.
Now ranked 105th globally while fellow Italian Jannik Sinner holds the top spot and carries his country’s major tournament expectations, the 30-year-old athlete explained that physical setbacks have been a constant throughout his tennis journey.
“When injuries come, you’re always negative and you don’t want to stop, and you think ‘I could have done this’ or ‘I could have done that’ but I look in the mirror and I’m so proud of my career and what I’ve achieved,” Berrettini shared with media members.
“Those who know me since I was a kid know I’ve been getting injured since I was 12, basically. It’s a part of who I am. If I have a big serve, big forehand, I also have this issue.
“I also have a resilient mind and always work hard to come back … I like to compete. I like to put myself in situations where most people would struggle … I’m a little bit psycho.
“I like to compete. I like to have fun with it. I like to win as many matches as possible. It’s been five years since I played Paris. It feels good to be here talking about a win.”
Berrettini will face Arthur Rinderknech in Roland Garros’ second round and is already anticipating Wimbledon’s start next month, though he may require a wild card entry to compete at the All England Club.
“My agent is here. I don’t know if he’s going to ask for a wild card, but I don’t think they’re going to give me one,” the Italian player said.
“We’ll see. If I get in, I get in. Otherwise, I’ll play the qualifiers. I know the level that I have. I know that I’ve been in worse situations in terms of rankings. Of course, Wimbledon is one of my favourite tournaments.
“Last year I was seeded in Wimbledon and I couldn’t really compete the way I wanted to. So it’s more important the way I’m competing than what I’m competing for.”
