Matteo Berrettini’s reaction to Lorenzo Musetti sparks debate

The unusual interview given by Matteo Berrettini after his opening-round victory at the ATP 500 in Vienna against Tomas Martin Etcheverry has fueled rumors of an alleged end to his friendship with his compatriot and national teammate Lorenzo Musetti.

For days, rumors have been circulating on social media about a rift between the two, who have unfollowed each other on Instagram and won’t even be on the same team for the Davis Cup (the Roman tennis player was not selected by national team captain Filippo Volandri).

At the end of the match, Berrettini—after calmly answering questions about the match—froze when asked to comment on the Carrara native’s victory in Lyon, his first in years. “Are we live?” Matteo asked first with an embarrassed smile. Then came the diplomatic response: “Lorenzo has worked hard and deserves this success.” Rumors and speculation exploded on social media following Berrettini’s interview. In the coming days, those directly involved may shed light on the matter to calm the waters.

Musetti won the ATP 250 in Lyon by defeating American Taylor Fritz in the final with a score of 6-3, 6-4. For the Tuscan, this is his first title in four years—a victory that earned him 250 ranking points and helped him regain confidence after a particularly challenging 2026.

Captain Volandri has called up Flavio Cobolli, Luciano Darderi, and Musetti for the Davis Cup Finals, scheduled to take place in Bologna in a month, selecting the singles players based on their rankings, in addition to the doubles pair of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. Berrettini, currently ranked No. 45 in the world and a key player in 2025 who made a decisive contribution to the team’s third consecutive Davis Cup title, has been surprisingly left off the roster—at least for now: the captain could still make some changes to the roster in the event of injuries. Jannik Sinner will also be absent, sidelined until 2027 due to a knee injury.