Tennis
Matteo Berrettini's rise: how determination shaped a tennis star
From Wimbledon finals to personal comebacks, Matteo Berrettini's journey offers a powerful look at what it takes to stay at the top. Here's how he's carving out a lasting legacy on the ATP Tour.
Matteo Berrettini is one of the big-name tennis stars striving to climb through the rankings and return to the top spots in the world rankings The current number 35 in the ATP Tour rankings heads into the summer looking to bring back the aggressive and spectacular brand of tennis that led him to his current record of 10 tournament wins.
Find out more about one of the stars of Italian tennis below.
Matteo Berrettini is determined to add more wins to his achievements
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01
Born into a family of tennis fans
Born in Rome in April 1996, Berrettini grew up in a tennis obsessed family. His younger brother, Jacopo, is also a pro. Though he preferred judo or swimming in his early years, Jacopo convinced him to return to tennis at eight-years-old and he's never looked back.
"My family have always been members of a tennis club," he recalled. "By three-years-old I had a racket in my hand. Around the age of eight, my brother asked me to hit with him on a court. I haven't stopped since then."
02
Making history on grass
Berrettini reached his first Grand Slam final in 2021, when he reached the Wimbledon singles final. In doing so he became the first-ever Italian player to contest a Wimbledon final, but ultimately lost that final to Novak Djokovic by three sets to one.
Berrettini leverages his powerful serve and forehand on grass. After that run, he claimed Queen's Club titles in 2021 and 2022, along with victory in Stuttgart and grass remains his strongest surface.
Berrettini has reached 12 ATP finals, winning 10
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03
A career record to be proud of so far
Since debuting on the main ATP Tour in 2017, Berrettini has won 10 career singles titles. His first title came on clay in 2018 at the Swiss Open in Gstaad. He's also won the Wimbledon warm-up tournament at the Queen’s Club twice, in 2021 and 2022. The other two grass tournaments wins came in Stuttgart in 2019 and 2022. There are also standout wins on the clay in Budapest in 2019 and in Belgrade in 2021.
After a trophy-less 2023 season, Berrettini found his rhythm again in 2024, winning outdoor clay titles in Kitzbuhel, Marrakech and again in Gstaad.
Matteo Berrettini's rise to the top
An ATP Masters title has so far excluded him, though he reached his first Masters 1000 final at the Madrid Open in 2022, losing out to Alexander Zverev in three sets.
04
Roger Federer is his tennis idol
Even though tennis legend Roger Federer is now retired, Berrettini has been lucky enough to face his idol twice – once at Wimbledon in 2019 and the second time at the Nitto ATP Finals in the same same year. Both were losses to the Swiss legend. A third meeting was due at the French Open in 2021, but Federer withdrew before a ball was hit and Berrettini received a walkover.
"The loss to Federer at Wimbledon was significant and beautiful, because I played against my idol on probably the most important court in the world. It taught me so much," he recalls.
In terms of an athlete outside tennis, Berrettini mentions basketball player LeBron James as a reference figure: "I like him as a player, but also what he does for the community, outside the basketball court."
Berrettini is a grass court master with two Queens titles to his name
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The loss to Federer at Wimbledon was significant and beautiful, because I played against my idol on probably the most important court in the world. It taught me so much
05
Coach changes and mentors
Berrettini parted ways with longtime coach Vincenzo Santopadre in 2023 and after a brief stint with Francisco Roig, he's now being guided by Alessandro Bega with additional input from Italian coach Umberto Rianna. Bega, a former player himself, has brought a fresh energy to Berrettini's camp and the goal is clear: help the player rediscover the form that once took him to a Wimbledon final.
06
His explosive serve and forehand is well known
Berrettini's nickname is 'The Hammer' for a good reason. Standing at 1.96m (6' 5"), he's known for having one of the fastest serves in tennis, regularly clocking speeds over 220kph. Pair that with his explosive forehand and you’ve got a player who's power can knock the racket out of your hands on fast courts. Grass is where his game really shines, but when he's healthy he’s a threat on any surface.
07
A trilingual talent
Berrettini doesn't just smash forehands, he also speaks three languages fluently: Italian, English and Spanish. His language skills come from a mix of international experience on tour and family roots that include a Brazilian grandmother. That fluency enhances his presence in global tennis circles and makes him a great global ambassador.
A huge serve and fearsome forehand have earned the nickname 'The Hammer'
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08
Football is his other sporting passion
It's not uncommon to see Berrettini wearing purple on court and that's because it's the colour of Fiorentina, his favourite football team. During the UEFA European Championships in 2021, he took advantage of training breaks and games at Queen's and Wimbledon to cheer for Italy, who of course ended up winning the UK-hosted tournament. Berrettini also loves watching NBA basketball games. He's also been seen enjoying padel and chatting with padel star Alejandro Galán. Both players share an imposing physical presence and an aggressive and explosive playing style.
09
If not tennis, he'd probably have had a career working with animals
"I have always felt a special connection with animals and since I was a child I've watched a lot of documentaries about wildlife. I would have liked to help animals in some way. My grandmother always told me I would be a biologist, but you have to study a lot! Passion, probably, would have got me there."
10
The Roland Garros 2025 Setback
In May 2025, Berrettini sadly had to withdraw from the French Open before the tournament even started. This decision came after a challenging match in Rome, where he aggravated a recurring right oblique injury. It marked his fourth consecutive absence from Roland Garros and the decision to withdraw was made as a precaution, intended to protect his body in preparation for the upcoming grass court tournaments.
Berrettini now has new coaching team to help him get back on top
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11
Personal life
Berrettini has had a few high-profile relationships, but he likes keeps his private life mostly out of the spotlight. He dated fellow tennis player Ajla Tomljanović from 2019 to 2022 and later had a public relationship with Italian TV presenter Melissa Satta during 2023 and early 2024. More recently, he has been dating Italian model Federica Lelli.
12
Current ranking and seeding
As of July 2025, Berrettini is ranked 35th in the world and at major tournaments he's typically seeded in the 25-35 range. His best ranking is sixth in the world, which he achieved during the 2022 season.