Australian Open 2023: Matteo Berrettini expresses confidence in defeating Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
Italian tennis sensation Matteo Berrettini has stated that he is confident of finally defeating Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal ahead of the 2023 Australian Open.
Berrettini is currently one of the most prominent players on the ATP tour after coming within a whisker of winning both the 2021 Wimbledon Championships and the 2022 Australian Open. His runs in the tournaments were cut short by Novak Djokovic (finals) and Rafael Nadal (semifinals), respectively.
Berrettini and Nadal have faced each other twice, in the semifinals of the 2019 US Open and the 2022 Australian Open, with the Spaniard winning on both occasions. The Italian and Djokovic have gone head-to-head four times to date, with the Serbian emerging victorious in all meetings.
In a recent conversation with AAP, Berrettini said that he was unable to beat Djokovic in the Wimbledon final because he lacked experience.
“I think it is also about the experience. The more you play against them, the more you learn how to beat them. When I played Novak at Wimbledon, I think it was his 30th slam. It was my first. Obviously he is a great player as well, so it wasn’t an easy task,” he said.
However, the World No. 16 added that it was an "honor" to play against the likes of Djokovic and Nadal. He also said that he was confident of finally defeating the duo.
“I felt, and I feel, super honored to play against them. Hopefully next time I am going to win. I am feeling more confident and am having long runs in slams,” he added.
"I am going to build up a lot of confidence from this event to have a long run in the Australian Open" - Matteo Berrettini on competing in United Cup
Matteo Berrettini will next be in action when he represents Italy in the United Cup, along with Marco Bortolotti, Lucia Bronzetti, Lorenzo Musetti, Camila Rosatello, Martina Trevisan, and Andrea Vavassori. The team will be captained by Berrettini's coach, Vincenzo Santopadre.
In light of this, the 26-year-old stated that he loves playing in Australia because of the energy of the crowd and that he will use the tournament to gain confidence ahead of the 2023 Australian Open.
“I love to play in Australia. I like the conditions. I like the crowd and the energy. I’ve always had good memories here. (Italy) also had a good run in the ATP Cup, reaching the final (in 2021), so it is nice to be here,” the Italian said.
“Hopefully, I am going to build up a lot of confidence from this event to have a long run in the Australian Open as well, ” he added.
Italy will open their United Cup campaign on Thursday against Brazil, with Matteo Berrettini and Thiago Monteiro squaring off.