First encounter with Roger Federer had me 'shaking', recalls Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini recently spoke about his match with Roger Federer at Wimbledon, which he claimed will remain in his memory for a long time. Now in an interview with TennisMajors’ Alize Lim, Berrettini has revealed a bit more about his admiration for the Swiss.
The Italian also spoke about the Swiss’ legendary rivals, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, during the course of the interview.
Roger Federer makes everything seem so easy: Matteo Berrettini
World No. 4 Roger Federer is idolized by many of the youngsters currently finding their feet on the tour, such as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev. World No. 8 Matteo Berrettini is also a part of the unofficial Federer Fan Club, and he talked in detail about how his first encounter with the Swiss left him 'shaking':
“Roger is my first tennis idol. We did warmup together in 2015 in Rome. I was playing Futures tournament and I was shaking during the warmup. Since then was a goal for me to play against him.”
It is widely believed that Roger Federer has one of the most aesthetically pleasing games in the history of the sport. His shot-making - especially his one-handed backhand - is as effortless as they come.
The fine margins with which Federer executes his shots often produces miraculous winners that leave his opponents absolutely transfixed. And Berrettini has been on the receiving end of that multiple times already.
“How he is playing everything seems so easy. He means something to tennis and even above tennis,” the Italian gushed.
Matteo Berrettini pays tribute to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
When the topic of Roger Federer comes up, it is difficult to avoid talking about his two exceptional rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. And Matteo Berrettini was full of praise for both, particularly highlighting Rafael Nadal's never-say-die attitude.
“Rafa’s attitude is unbelievable," Berrettini said. "What I always like about him is that he doesn’t care if he leads 5-0 or loses 5-0, his attitude is always the same. If a guy is coming in to watch the match he cannot tell without the score if Rafa is winning or losing. He’s one of the greatest talents you can have, especially in this sport.”
Rafael Nadal has used that mindset to register countless victories over the last decade and a half, including many against Roger Federer himself. And the same can be said of Roger Federer’s other long-time rival, Novak Djokovic.
The Serb defeated Berrettini 6-2 6-1 in their only match so far (ATP Finals 2019), and the 23-year-old acknowledged the immense quality of Djokovic by saying:
“I didn’t play bad against Novak. I served 70% of the first serves in and he returned everything amazingly. I just accepted he was better than me.”
In a rather fitting conclusion, Berrettini paid tribute to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic by reaffirming their legendary status.
“With them you feel something that is different. You know like you feel you are playing against history. You are not just playing against a guy who is human,” the Italian remarked.