"He will be a real threat to the top players" - Patrick Mouratoglou on Matteo Berrettini

Patrick Mouratoglou believes Matteo Berrettini will be a serious threat to the top players at Wimbledon due to his serve and his playstyle.

Matteo Berrettini returned to the tour last week after a three-month layoff due to a hand injury for which he received treatment in March. The injury forced him to withdraw from the Miami Open and all subsequent tournaments in the claycourt season, including Roland Garros.

Delighted by the Italian player's return, French tennis coach and sports commentator Patrick Mouratoglou posted a video on Instagram, pointing out the factors that make Berrettini 'a real threat' to top players. He said:

"It's great to see Matteo Berrettini back for the grass-court season after having wrist surgery in March. I'm excited to see his return. I think he will be a real threat to the top players, especially on grass due to his powerful game style and his ability to keep the points short"

Mouratoglou broke down three key elements of Berrettini's game that make him a dangerous opponent on grasscourt, namely his serve, forehand, and backhand slice:

"Here are three reasons why you don't want to play Matteo on grass. First, he has a huge serve. It's not just powerful, it's also super accurate. On grass, it's even more difficult to return, allowing Matteo to win many free points. This pressures his opponents to win their serving games.

Two, his forehand is one of the biggest on tour. Having a weapon like this allows Matteo to keep points short, which is key on grass. In his serving games, if the return comes back, Matteo finds his forehand and looks to put his opponent on the run or hit a winner.

Three, he has an effective slice. Although his backhand is his weaker shot, Matteo has developed a very good slice, which is ideal on grass. He uses it to force his opponents to hit upwards, giving him more opportunities to attack with his forehand."