Berrettini's mental coach hits back at criticism surrounding new girlfriend after Acapulco retirement: "Has a positive effect on him"

Matteo Berrettini recently retired from Acapulco after a pain in his right leg after two sets against Holger Rune and with Indian Wells and Miami beginning, he is very much not 100%.

But some social media users have put Berrettini's new relationship with Melissa Satta as potentially behind it and wanting to spend more time with her than on court with his mental coach Stefano Massari as per Super Tennis saying that this isn't the case and clarified the situation.

"He ended the Australian Open p**** off at the loss and sorry because he hadn't been able to spin the match that he had restarted," said Massari.

"Then, after a difficult year, in which he trained and played little, he chose to take a break to take more time to train and then be able to play continuously.

"A longer break for love? No, I also talk to him about the things that happen to him off the court and therefore about his important relationships: I met his girlfriend about ten years ago and then Ajla, I don't know Melissa yet but I'm sure that Matteo is fine with her and this has a positive effect on him.

"Matteo is happy with what is happening to him in this relationship which is different from the one with a fellow tennis player who is always a little older but not so much like Melissa, who comes from the world of entertainment.

"It seems to me that he lives it very well. Someone thinks and writes on social media and jokes that Melissa is the cause of his latest injury: whoever coaches him and therefore me too, perhaps, paradoxically, we would be happy if it were like this but Matteo got hurt other times and in his private life they didn't exist conditions today."