Women have started to look at Matteo Berrettini differently, his life has changed profoundly: Chris Evert
Chris Evert believes Matteo Berrettini's 2021 Wimbledon run, where the Italian reached the final before falling to Novak Djokovic, has "profoundly" changed his life -- and not necessarily for the better.
Berrettini hasn't been the same since his run to the Wimbledon final (his first and only Grand Slam final so far). He is now languishing outside the top 20 in the ATP rankings, a result of poor form and unfortunate injuries over the last few months.
Aside from a run to the semifinals of the 2022 Australian Open, the former World No. 6 has only had two quarterfinal appearances (2021 and 2022 US Open) at the Slams in the period after Wimbledon 2021. He has also experienced one first-round exit (2023 Australian Open) and made two withdrawals (2022 French Open and Wimbledon).
Speaking to Warner Bros Discovery Sports recently, Evert claimed that Berrettini came under the spotlight due to his success at SW19. She believes this made everyone, especially women, see him differently.
Such a change in public perception is not easy to handle, according to Evert. The 18-time Grand Slam champion posited that it could have contributed to Berrettini's struggles on the court.
"I think that after the Wimbledon final he played in 2021 his life has changed profoundly. People began to approach him, to cajole him. And especially women have started to look at [him] in a different way. Everyone wanted to touch him," Evert said, as quoted by Ubitennis.
"[Matteo Berrettini] is a very kind person and it's not easy to manage these situations when life changes so drastically," she added.
However, Chris Evert remains hopeful of Matteo Berrettini returning to his best soon. She reckons the 27-year-old has enough time left in his career to get over the initial overwhelming confusion.
"It often happens when you have a bit of success, especially when you play the Wimbledon final, which is a big success. It is so beautiful, everyone in Italy wants it and such enthusiasm can overwhelm and confuse you," Evert said.
"It's all experience and thank goodness today a career can easily last for 20 years. I really hope he returns to his best," she added.
Matteo Berrettini continues recovery on the sidelines, skips home tournament in Italy
Meanwhile, Matteo Berrettini continues his forced absence from the ATP Tour. He is currently recovering from an injury he picked up at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
The injury forced the Italian to skip the Madrid Open as well as his home tournament at the Italian Open in Rome.
Having missed the French Open last year, Berrettini will be hoping he can be fit in time for this year's edition. It would give him a great opportunity to gain some much-needed points and begin his climb up the rankings.