Matteo Berrettini joins Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem in Team Europe at 2021 Laver Cup
Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini will make his Laver Cup debut in the fourth installment of the competition later this year.
The Laver Cup recently announced that Berrettini will be representing Team Europe at the three-day event. The 2021 edition of the Laver Cup is scheduled to be held at the TD Garden in Boston.
Berrettini will play under none other than Bjorn Borg, who has led Team Europe to victories in the last three editions of the event. Borg, a 11-time major winner, expressed his delight at signing up the Italian.
“Matteo has had an incredible run, not only on the grass courts this summer but really since the start of the year when he helped Italy reach the final of the ATP Cup in Melbourne and then reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the quarter-finals at Roland Garros,” Borg said.
“He is a great addition to our team and I have no doubt he will relish the unique experience that Laver Cup provides as he teams up alongside his year-round rivals.”
Berrettini revealed he was "very excited" to play on the same team as his childhood idol Roger Federer at this year's Laver Cup.
“I’m really excited to be part of the Laver Cup this year. I’ve heard so much talk in the locker rooms from the guys that have played it before about what a cool event it is. Playing at TD Garden, having Bjorn Borg as my Captain, and being on the same team as one of my childhood idols, Roger Federer, is going to be a really special experience,” Berrettini said.
Berrettini has been in a rich vein of form this year. The Italian was two sets away from winning his maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon after claiming the first set of the final against Novak Djokovic.
But Berrettini was eventually outclassed by the Serb, who triumphed in four sets to lift his third Grand Slam title of the year.
2021 Laver Cup to allow capacity crowds, pre-sale tickets out later this week
The 2021 Laver Cup will return after a two-year gap. The 2020 edition was canceled to avoid clashing with the French Open, which was pushed back to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Laver Cup announced earlier this month that the 2021 edition of the tournament will have capacity crowds. Pre-sale tickets will begin on 19 July.
Team Europe have won all three editions of the competition -- in Prague in 2017, Chicago in 2018 and Geneva in 2019.