Matteo Berrettini showers praise on Jannik Sinner after Wimbledon defeat

Italy’s Matteo Berrettini has heaped praise on the world number one Jannik Sinner after suffering a defeat in the second round at Wimbledon 2024. The third Grand Slam of the year is already underway, where players from all over the world are participating and battling to secure the ultimate prize.

Sinner, who is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in the men’s singles category along with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic, cemented his spot in the third round of the mega-event after beating his countryman in a four-set clash on Wednesday with a score of 7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 7-6.

Berrettini, while talking to the media after the match, heaped praise on Sinner, who, according to him, ‘did not’ give him the space to play the game according to his own will. The 28-year-old also stated that Sinner is improving every day and is showing why he is now the top-ranked player in men’s tennis.

“I think he missed three balls the whole match,” said Berrettini. “He didn’t give me that oxygen that sometimes you need. I expected a really solid player that was playing good. But he surprised me. He’s improving every day. He always returned well and ran really well but his touch and ability to read the moments and play not just in the rhythm, but with spin and some slice, they’re doing a great job. That’s one of the reasons he’s world #1 right now.”

Sinner recently became the world number after replacing Djokovic at the top of the ATP rankings. The 37-year-old lost the top spot during the French Open, where he was forced to withdraw just before the start of the quarterfinal against Norway’s Casper Ruud because of a knee injury. Sinner will next face Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic, who registered his spot in the third round after beating Tallon Griekspoor in a thrilling five-set clash with a score of 4-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.