Matteo Berrettini on Wimbledon: ‘I don’t feel like I’m the favourite but I know I can do it’

Wimbledon
Matteo Berrettini Wimbledon runner-up

He is the form player on grass heading into Wimbledon and he “aims to have a big tournament”, but Matteo Berrettini has played down the favourite tag as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal “are always there”.

Berrettini followed up last week’s Stuttgart Open title with a second consecutive trophy at the Queen’s Club Championships on Sunday, brushing aside Filip Krajinovic in straight sets to join John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray as the only back-to-back title winners at the ATP 500 event.

Having finished runner-up to Djokovic at Wimbledon last year, many believe the Italian can go all the way this campaign.

Although the world No 11 insists he is not the favourite, he is also backing his own ability.

“I don’t know if I’m the favourite as Novak and Rafa (Nadal) are always there; Rafa has already won two Slams and no-one expected him to win in Australia,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“I don’t feel like I’m the favourite but I know I can do it, I can’t pull the wool over people’s eyes. My aim is to have a big tournament at Wimbledon and I hope it will be two intense weeks.”

The past few weeks could not have gone better for Berrettini as he spent nearly three full months on the sidelines after undergoing a hand operation after the Indian Wells Open.

“After a really good week in Stuttgart it would have been easy to not exactly take my foot off the gas but let my problems overwhelm me,” he said.

“Instead I found the right energy levels and to win such a prestigious tournament is really very special.”

Matteo Berrettini

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