“Jannik Sinner did a miracle. I will also use this enthusiasm for my tennis,” Matteo Berrettini said of his compatriot, Jannik Sinner’s, referring to latter’s historical US Open victory. In the tennis court, they have exhibited their tennis rivalry twice, with Sinner leading the headcount. But off the court, they have built a “good relationship,” with both ‘dreaming’ alike. However, the 28-year-old Italian, inspired by Sinner’s exceptional presence in the sport, aspires to “steal” one thing from him!
“This title for me means so much because the last period of my career was not really easy,” said Jannik Sinner after his debut triumph in New York, referring to a hard battle in the trail of his doping conviction. After his maiden grand slam victory in Australia, followed by a win in Rotterdam, the 23-year-old had to undergo a hard stretch in his career, owing to his two positive test results for Clostebol, a banned performance-enhancing substance, during his Indian Wells campaign. Sinner did not give up but kept on with his silent war off the court while retaining his constant supremacy in tennis, reaching SFs or QFs of numerous events. Moreover, a world No. 1 ranking together with capturing six trophies throughout the season seemed to be a piece of cake for him.
He got anger for skipping his Olympic debut and with the news of his successful doping case trial coming to light. But Sinner kept his head high throughout it all and focused on his game ahead of the US Open. Referring to Jannik Sinner’s devotion to greatness and dedication, Matteo Berrettini couldn’t help but shower praise on him during his press-conference ahead of his nation’s debut in the Davis Cup and stated to We Love Tennis. “There are many things I would like to steal from Jannik’s game. But one of them, above all, is the desire to work, more particularly his ability to continually want to improve.”
Furthermore, Berrettini, who lost against Sinner in 2024 Wimbledon, further noted, “He reached the elite of tennis very young and never wanted to stop, and if you hear him talk, he always looks to the future, it is a quality that the greats have. This attention is somewhat innate and you work on it a little, so I try to do the same, to continue to transcend myself, to seek goals, to experience essential stimuli. We are not simply talking about rankings or events, but about the thrill of improving.”
A few days ago, the 2021 Wimbledon championships finalist sided with Sinner during his doping controversy, describing how “impressively” Sinner dealt with everything and highlighting that the doping was a “mistake.” Besides, earlier this year, Berrettini also divulged the secret to Jannik Sinner’s success in the tennis arena.
Berrettini on Jannik Sinner’s “secret” to success!
When Berrettini first encountered Jannik Sinner, the latter was only 14 years old. However, during that time, Berrettini realized the huge potential that Sinner has while he played with him in the Monte Carlo in 2019, claiming his experience of playing against him to be “something special.” He also praised Sinner’s swift rate of developing tennis skills, combined with his acceptable “attitude.”
Further adding, Berrettini added, “It was just a learning process all the time. And he is still doing that. I suppose that’s why he went up so swiftly, in a manner. I suppose his secret is that he is extremely hungry for progress. That’s his secret. And the humbleness that he has about it. Yeah, simply special.” Jannik Sinner has repeatedly reciprocated Berrettini’s appreciation for him.
