WATCH: Matteo Berrettini’s ATP Tour debut at the 2017 Italian Open

Ryan Jarvis 13 Apr 2023 1:08 PM

Matteo Berrettini celebrated his birthday in style on Wednesday as he produced a confident win over Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo in the Monte Carlo Masters in the round of 32. So, let’s acknowledge that win by looking back at the Italian’s ATP Tour debut in 2017.

Berrettini made his first ATP Tour appearance at the age of 21 at his home ATP Masters 1000 event, the Italian Open, and has become a fan favourite since then. However, the star did not begin his career as the exciting player we know today.

His debut saw him take on his compatriot Fabio Fognini and he suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of his fellow Italian. The match came to an end with a score of 6-1, 6-3; however, the rising star did show promise in the match by delivering some incredible shots.

Check out this spectacular effort from the Italian star at 32 seconds into the video. He definitely showed his hunger with this effort as he rushed toward the net to deliver a killer dink.

The star won his first ATP Tour game in style, with a cushioned shot that caught his fellow Italian out at 01:35.

Berrettini showed talent, but he needed to work on his game. A saying that is found across all sports: talent without hard work is meaningless- something the Italian certainly implemented into his game.

Since his debut, the star has won seven ATP Tour singles titles and two doubles titles. Not only that, but the Italian had an impressive run at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships by reaching the singles finals, where he met Novak Djokovic.

The final was certainly one to remember, with Berrettini putting up an exciting performance against the Serbinator. Unfortunately for the Italian, the game ended in Djokovic’s favour, with a score of 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

The Italian currently sits at No 22 in the ATP rankings but has definitely seen himself in a higher spot. In January 2022, Berrettini reached a career-high of No 6 in the ATP Rankings on the back of reaching the Australian Open semi-final.

However, he struggled with illness and injury during the remainder of the 2022 season, but is hoping to regain his best form over the next few months.

His 27th birthday saw him get the perfect gift, which was an exciting win over Cerundolo. The two squared off and put on an enjoyable performance, only for the game to end in the Italian’s favour with a score of 7-5, 6-7 (7-9), 4-6.

After watching his debut match, we can all agree that the star has come a long way and will look to go even further.

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