Berrettini, it seems clear that by now the tennis player is no longer thinking about it. Here’s what can be guessed from the photo circulated online.
The tousled curls, the backpack with rackets on his shoulders, and the smile of someone who knows he has nothing left to lose at this point. This is how he showed himself, happy and at the same time impatient, Matteo Berrettini, who confirmed the rumors circulated in recent hours with an unequivocal photograph.
The shot shows him at the airport, departing for the land of kangaroos. Fate tried hard to get in his way, but he was undeterred. He put the fear that accompanied him out of his mind, and the way he smiles seems to testify to that. Australia was to be and Australia will be, whatever the conditions and no matter what. He will not arrive in Melbourne with the ambitions of two years ago, perhaps, when he pushed all the way to the semifinals only to surrender to Rafael Nadal’s court. Nothing prevents him from believing anyway, though, because after all, that is what Matteo needs: hope. The time of regrets and bad thoughts is now behind him, and Berrettini has been in such bad shape that he will never again, this much is certain, want to plunge into that darkness of which he has spoken so often.
Now that he is ranked 125th in the Atp rankings, and that it can’t get any worse, it’s time to push on. There is only room for improvement right now, and who knows, maybe the magic of the Melbourne arena can work some miracles.
Berrettini, no fear: full steam ahead
Still remaining, in any case, that it is not to win-although it wouldn’t hurt-that Matteo needs. He needs to play, he needs to regain confidence with the racket and the nastiness of opponents. He needs to dream, considering he hasn’t been able to do that for a long, too long time.
And he needs, now more than ever, the support of the fans, those same fans who turned their backs on him the moment he “fell.” For the moment he will make do with that of his partner Melissa Satta, who judging by her Instagram Stories has left for Australia together with the tennis player. Which is good, whatever the detractors say, ready as she certainly will be to support him should he need it.
All that remains is to find out, at this point, how the draw scheduled for Thursday will draw the main draw for the Australian Open. Who will be the first opponent of this Berrettini 2.0 we can’t wait to take the court?