Wimbledon 2022, Matteo Berrettini throws down the gauntlet to Novak Djokovic

“I would say the time has come to beat him.”

Arriving at Wimbledon with the enviable score of 33 wins in his last 34 matches on grass, Matteo Berrettini. Everyone thought it would take some adjustment to the surface, after so many months of fasting from grass and especially after stopping due to a wrist injury .Macché. Two tournaments – Stuttgart and Queen’s – and two wins. Normal that now Berrettini comes to the Championships with the label of the man capable of breaking Novak Djokovic’s hegemony at the All England Club. A label that in any case the Roman does not refuse at all, on the contrary.

“It took time for me to love grass. The first click happened in the Davis Cup, India-Italy in Calcutta, 2019 playoffs. The second one last year between Queen’s and Wimbledon. It is a different and unusual tennis, which goes beyond the technical aspect,” the Italian began to the ‘Corriere della Sera’. ‘It’s a total feeling with the surface, the patience it requires, the acceptance of the uneven bounce: it’s as if the grass asks me to feel emotionally at ease so that the perfect connection is made.”

“I’ve always been careful with words. Now I feel there is no need to hide anymore. I’m playing well, bursting with confidence-I’m going into the tournament with reasonable confidence that I can go far. The road to the final I already know, the path is marked, the memories are happy. I feel more ready, stronger, better. In Paris, London and New York in 2021, I always lost to Djokovic. I’d say it’s time to beat him,” said a fully loaded Berrettini.