Matteo Berrettini recently opened up about his struggles with depression and mental health issues.
The Italian tennis player has had a challenging year in 2023, as injuries have hindered his ability to compete regularly, resulting in poor results in both ATP and Challenger tournaments.
Currently ranked as world No. 38, Berrettini's performance in 2023 has placed him at the 74th position in the ATP Race, which considers only the points accumulated during this year.
In the upcoming weeks, he will have to defend the points he earned at the 2022 US Open, where he reached the quarterfinals. However, in both Canada and Cincinnati, he was eliminated in the first round, providing him with an opportunity to gain valuable points and avoid a significant drop in the rankings.
In a recent interview with Corriere Della Sera, the Italian tennis player candidly spoke about the challenges he has faced in terms of mental health and well-being.
"Deep down, even when I feel exhausted, this [competing on the court] is one of the things that makes me alive. Not being able to do so, in important appointments, made me know the darkness. And the darkness seems to have no end, it seems to swallow you because instead of standing still and breathing, you dig yourself an abyss," Berrettini said.
"They were bad moments, which I did not like. But they were fundamental to make me rediscover the reasons for the joy of doing what I started as a child and that has occupied my whole life. I thought back to the origins to find myself. The darkness gave me the space to do it," former Wiimbledon finalist added.
Former world No. 5 will play his first-round match at the Canadian Open on Monday against Frenchman Gregoire Barrere, whom he has never faced before. If he secures a victory, his compatriot and current world No. 7 Jannik Sinner awaits him in the second round.
Matteo Berrettini fell into depression: “I experienced too many mental & physical tears.. the darkness seems to have no end, it swallows you. Instead of standing still & catching your breath, you dig yourself an abyss… I tried to find myself. The dark gave me space to do it”
