"Sinner isn’t here, but there’s no anxiety”: Matteo Berrettini steps up for Italy’s Davis Cup mission

Matteo Berrettini is preparing for his return to the Davis Cup Finals, where his participation could be key in the quest to defend the title won in 2023 and 2024. This year, the Italian team will be without Jannik Sinner—who opted to end his season once the ATP Finals conclude to take more rest time ahead of the next season.

After two years in which Italy relied on their best player to secure the title, they will have to find solutions without him. Added to this are doubts about whether Lorenzo Musetti (No. 9) will be part of the team. Although he is initially called up, there are questions about whether the 23-year-old will feel fit after a busy few weeks of competition in the latter part of the year and his recent participation in the ATP Finals.

The Italian team will rely on Flavio Cobolli as a weapon for the doubles, and Musetti's potential absence could open a spot for Berrettini (No. 63) to play in some singles matches. “The Davis Cup has always been good for me, and I think I can give the right determination to the group,” he commented to Gazzetta. “Jannik isn't here, Musetti is in doubt, but the beautiful thing is that even without the two current top players, there’s no anxiety.”

“We are all aware that we can do it. We are all eager and we are in a good moment—Bolelli and Vavassori are playing great, Cobolli had the best season of his career, Sonego, if he comes, has shown that he is doing very well. We are a group, we are friends, everything will be fine.”

The Italian team will face one of the surprises of the Finals in the quarter-finals: Austria, whose main weapons will be Filip Misolic (No. 86) and Jurij Rodionov (No. 161).

The former World No. 6 does not miss the opportunity to praise his Davis Cup teammate Jannik Sinner, with whom he has often referred to his great relationship off the court. Berrettini acknowledged that his colleague has also been an inspiration in his ambitions to once again occupy a space among the best.

“If I think about what he [Sinner] has done in the last two years, it's impressive. Everyone has their own world, their own rhythms, their own goals,” Berrettini added. “I think I still have something to give to this sport, there are satisfactions I want to achieve. But without risking my body and my mind, which have suffered enough in recent years.”

The 2021 Wimbledon runner-up has faced several years of injuries that have prevented him from maintaining continuity. This season, he was out for two months following an injury at the Rome Open against Casper Ruud. His return at Wimbledon was marked by a first-round defeat against Majchrzak, which was followed by almost three more months away from the courts until his return in the Asian swing.

During the recovery time, Berrettini focused on his work to return at a good level, engaging in continuous training sessions from Monaco, a country where both he and Sinner reside and train. “Training with him [Sinner] in Monte Carlo helped me,” he recounted. “I realized that I enjoyed hitting the ball with the racket, the sound that came off the strings. I really liked it. That’s when I understood that it wasn't time for me to quit yet.”

Sinner and Berrettini have had a couple of previous encounters on the Tour, both resulting in victories for the current World No. 2. Sinner won the 2023 Canadian Open (6-4, 6-3) and the 2024 Wimbledon match (7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 7-6).