"Rafael Nadal was like a bull, energy all over the place" - Matteo Berrettini opens up on Spaniard and idol Roger Federer's influence on his style
Matteo Berrettini recently revealed that tennis stars like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer influenced his on-court attire. The 28-year-old is currently competing at the BOSS Open and has advanced to the second round of the tournament.
Berrettini, who had been away after the Monte Carlo Masters this year, started the grass-court event by defeating Roman Safiullin 7-6(8), 5-7, 7-5 in the opening round. He is set to face Denis Shapovalov in the next round.
In a recent interview with Esquire, Berrettini spoke about the tennis stars who have influenced his on-court attire. The 28-year-old revealed that he grew up watching Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and started by using the former's example. He described Nadal's early look with a sleeveless top and long shorts and believed that the Spaniard's aggressive style matched his dynamic presence on the court.
"I grew up watching Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal], and they were the guys that you had to watch. Everything they were doing reflected their personality. For example, The look Rafa was playing at the beginning was a sleeveless [top] and long shorts," Matteo Berrettini said.
"It was like a bull got on the court, and his energy was all over the place. You could feel that this look fits him. If you put that look on anybody [else] on tour, that would have been a disaster," he added.
Talking about Roger Federer, Berrettini gave the example of the Swiss' suit from the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. The Italian said that looking at Federer and Nadal made him understand the importance of feeling comfortable in one's clothing on and off the court.
"Or that year when Roger was stepping on court in Wimbledon in like a [military-style suit] jacket, basically a full white tuxedo. He was the only one that could do that, and he pulled it off. So I think looking at them, they made me understand that it's really important that you feel comfortable in your clothes and in your style when you're off and on court, because at the end of the day, you have to perform in it." Berrettini said.
Matteo Berrettini has hailed Roger Federer as his favorite in the past
In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere Della Sera in 2023, Matteo Berrettini was asked about his favorite tennis player during his childhood. Without hesitation, the Italian named Roger Federer and reminisced about their encounter at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, describing it as a wonderful experience despite the loss.
"Federer, without a doubt. The first match against him I didn't even understand where I was, I was so excited. And I was at Wimbledon. He killed me, but it was wonderful," Berrettini said.
The Swiss defeated Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in a one-sided match at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. He also holds a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head record. The two were also supposed to face one another in the fourth round of the 2021 French Open, but Federer withdrew from the match, thus giving Berrettini a place in the quarterfinals of the clay-court Major.