Berrettini, this explains it all: thanks to them he was able to find his way back “home” and what he thought he had lost.
It is said of him that he has “exceptional human qualities.” Not knowing him personally, we cannot decree whether this is indeed the case or not, while we have no objection regarding his mental strength. Matteo Berrettini possesses such massive amounts of it that he could sell some, if he wanted to. Or maybe not, pray tell: he’d better keep it all to himself, if these are the results.
There is no secret, other than the desire to get back to winning, behind the Roman hammer’s exploit in Marrakech. The detractors would not give him a lira, so much so that some of them say that the feat in Morocco means nothing. Perhaps, but it was beautiful, beautiful, to witness the rebirth of that phoenix with dark curls and sculpted muscles who just gave us a dream week. And who several more could give us in the future, intent as he is on climbing back up the ladder and making up for all the time lost due to a physique that has often acted up, screwing up his every plan and project.
But above all there is the head, we said, behind this rebirth that many thought absolutely impossible or, at any rate, highly improbable. And then there are them, the heroes who inspired him and who, evidently, conveyed to him what Matthew most needed at this by no means easy time in his career: strength.
Berrettini, now it’s clear: it’s all thanks to them
Revealing who helped Berrettini, in the long time he spent away from the tennis court, was his lifelong mental coach, namely Stefano Massari. Who returned us, in fact, a rather interesting anecdote, which speaks volumes about the fact that Matteo has been looking for handholds everywhere.
“We work not so much on what happens on the field anymore – these are his words to Radio too Sport – while we have kept an open discussion on his reading. Now Matteo is reading Baricco’s book Homer, Iliad, which is about Greek heroes: let’s say we are in line with the work we are doing.” “As much as divine gestures hand down the immeasurable that often faces life,” there is a preface to the book now on the Roman’s bedside table, “the ‘Iliad’ shows an astonishing stubbornness to seek, nonetheless, a logic of events that has man as the ultimate maker.”
It may have been of the greatest help, then, at a time when he was desperately – and legitimately – searching for a reason to justify his “misfortunes.” “In Matteo’s rebirth there is a part of commitment and dedication,” Massari further explains, “but there are also his innate qualities that allow him to achieve almost unbelievable results after so long away from the court. In the last two years Berrettini has had a series of significant problems from a physical standpoint. When physical problems tend to recur, it triggers a particular fear of injury, you go to the court more fearful. One also wonders how long one can last in this situation of physical stress.” Only now the answer is there: one can endure, even a lot. And one can even be reborn. Just like the Greek heroes.