Matteo Berrettini can’t seem to catch a break, as he continues to struggle with injury.
A former Wimbledon finalist, Berrettini was one of the best players in the men’s game for several years, reaching five major quarterfinals between 2021 and 2022.
Unfortunately for the Italian, he’s struggled with injuries ever since, falling well outside the ATP top ten.
Now ranked 59th in the world, Berrettini has withdrawn from this year’s US Open, having last played a professional match at Wimbledon, where he lost in the first round.
As fans of the 29-year-old worry about his tennis future, one popular Italian pundit has suggested the issue Berrettini may currently be facing.
Guido Monaco is worried that Matteo Berrettini may not have the ‘motivation to try again’
During the latest episode of ‘TennisMania’, former Italian tennis star Guido Monaco weighed in on Berrettini’s US Open withdrawal.
“I spoke about it with Vincenzo Santopadre [Matteo Berrettini’s former coach], who is an extremely balanced and capable person,” he said.
“Matteo [Berrettini] is going through a very difficult personal moment.
“I think he’s a bit drained of motivation and the desire to try again.”
Unable to build any momentum due to his constant injury issues, you couldn’t blame Berrettini if he decided to call it quits.
Another former Italian star, Paolo Bertolucci, recently suggested Berrettini may retire from tennis early, should his problems persist.
Monaco did, however, wish for a Berrettini comeback, suggesting where he could return before the end of the year.
“I hope I’m wrong and that I can see him back in action, perhaps in the Davis Cup in Italy,” he said.
“Especially because before what happened in Madrid [injury], he had a career as a top-level player.”
The two-time defending champions will host the Davis Cup Finals later this year, when the top-eight teams travel to Bologna, Italy, in November.
Berrettini was an integral member of Italy’s Davis Cup-winning team in 2024, winning all six matches he played, as the nation picked up their third title.
| Tie | Match | Opponent(s) | Result | Score |
| Final v Netherlands | Singles | Botic van de Zandschulp | WIN | 6-4, 6-2 |
| Semifinal v Australia | Singles | Thanasi Kokkinakis | WIN | 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 |
| Quarterfinal v Argentina | Doubles (W/Jannik Sinner) | Maximo Gonzalez/Andres Molteni | WIN | 6-4, 7-5 |
| Group stage v Netherlands | Singles | Botic van de Zandschulp | WIN | 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| Group stage v Belgium | Singles | Alexander Blockx | WIN | 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 |
| Group stage v Brazil | Singles | Joao Fonseca | WIN | 6-1, 7-6 |
Even if Berrettini wasn’t to make a return to tennis, Monaco would still have ‘great respect’ for his ‘fantastic career’.
“I want to say that if he stops playing tomorrow, he’s had a fantastic career and, before [Jannik] Sinner, he carried the Italian flag to great heights,” he said.
“Just great respect.”
Monaco isn’t wrong, as Berrettini helped usher in a new era of Italian dominance after years of struggles.
Matteo Berrettini became the first Italian man to reach a Grand Slam final in 45 years
When Berrettini took down Hubert Hurkacz in four sets to reach the Wimbledon final in 2021, he ended a 45-year drought for Italian tennis.
No Italian man had qualified for a Grand Slam final since Adriano Pannata did so at the 1976 French Open, 45 years earlier.
Unfortunately for Berrettini, he couldn’t follow in Pannata’s footsteps and win the title, as he fell to Novak Djokovic on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
He did, however, become just the fourth Italian man to play a Grand Slam final, cementing his place among the greats.
Italian men in Grand Slam finals
- Giorgio de Stefani – 1932 French Open (LOST)
- Nicola Pietrangeli – 1959 French Open (WON)
- Nicola Pietrangeli – 1960 French Open (WON)
- Nicola Pietrangeli – 1961 French Open (LOST)
- Nicola Pietrangeli – 1964 French Open (LOST)
- Adriano Panatta – 1976 French Open (WON)
- Matteo Berrettini – 2019 Wimbledon (LOST)
- Jannik Sinner – 2024 Australian Open (WON)
- Jannik Sinner – 2024 US Open (WON)
- Jannik Sinner – 2025 Australian Open (WON)
- Jannik Sinner – 2025 French Open (LOST)
- Jannik Sinner – 2025 Wimbledon (WON)
The nation didn’t have to wait another 45 years to see one of their own contest a final, as Jannik Sinner rose to prominence five years later.
Winning four of his first five Grand Slam finals, Sinner established himself as the greatest Italian player of all time, and looks like he’s only just getting started.
While Berrettini sits out the US Open, Sinner will return to defend his title as the heavy favorite, searching for his fifth major in two years.
The 2025 US Open is scheduled to begin on Sunday, August 24.
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