Matteo Berrettini, the former champion laughs in the face of critics

Zugarelli defends Berrettini to the hilt

Tonino Zugarelli is appalled at the criticism of Matteo Berrettini. “People keep saying he plays badly about him,” the 1976 Davis Cup champion tells Corriere dello Sport. Fortunately. Then you are a champion if you get in the top eight by playing badly. And if he plays well? House happens? People before talking should stop and think. We are in good hands.”

“Today’s young tennis players are different from our generation. Our primary goal for the season was one: to play with the national team. Speaking for myself, that was the most important thing. I don’t know what relationships the Italian guys have within the group, whether friendly or with some friction. From the outside, they seem pretty close-knit to me,” Zugarelli added.

Matteo Berrettini, nicknamed “The Hammer” on the ATP circuit because of the supersonic power of his serve and forehand strokes, is an Italian tennis player, born in Rome on April 12, 1996. He decided to go all in on tennis thanks to the valuable advice of his younger brother Jacopo, also a tennis player. At the age of 14 he switched to training at the Canottieri Aniene club, led by Vincenzo Santopadre, who is still his coach. Berrettini is considered the best Italian player ever on grass, being the only one to have reached the Wimbledon final. He also boasts the second-best ranking ever for an Italian tennis player, having reached the No. 6 position in the ATP rankings in January 2022.