Wimbledon smiles on the Azzurri: Fognini in the main draw, Berrettini toward the top seeds

The’grass of Wimbledon brings a double smile to Italian tennis. Fabio Fognini will be in the main draw of the prestigious English tournament thanks to the forfeit of Arthur Fils, while Matteo Berrettini is getting closer and closer to being among the seeded players.

The official withdrawal of the talented young Frenchman, who has not yet recovered from the stress fracture in his back suffered at Roland Garros, has allowed Fognini, currently outside the top 100 of the Atp rankings, to gain direct access to the Wimbledon main draw for the 15th time in his career. The Ligurian tennis player, coming off an early elimination at the Nottingham Challenger at the hands of Britain’s Arthur Frey, had given up trying the qualifying route, trusting in a possible chance as a lucky loser. The choice proved successful.

Despite an erratic performance in recent months, Fabio has often shown that he can excel on the big stages. Last year, on the very grass courts of Church Road, he had reached the third round, beating among others Norwegian Casper Ruud before succumbing in a long battle to Bautista Agut. A precedent that boosts the hopes of Italian fans.

Smiles also for Berrettini, a finalist at Wimbledon in 2021 and currently world No. 34. Fils’ withdrawal, along with Korda’s, virtually propels him into the tournament’s seedings, a key detail that could prevent him from uncomfortable intersections in the early rounds. However, final confirmation will depend on the results of Alexander Bublik and Roberto Bautista Agut in the Halle and Queen’s prep tournaments.