Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini: Wimbledon finalist and Italy's Davis Cup hero

Matteo Berrettini was born on 12 April 1996 in Rome, yet his official residence is not in the Italian capital but, like that of many other tennis professionals, in Monaco. At the age of eight he already decided to pursue a tennis career, after his younger brother Jacopo, who also plays on the professional tour, asked him to pick up a racket more often. Swimming, football and judo, which Berrettini also practised as a child, therefore had to take a back seat from then on. Berrettini's professional career began in 2015 on the Future and Challenger Tours. Over the following years he worked his way steadily up the world rankings – as high as number 6, his career best from January 2022. At 1.96 m tall, the Roman is one of the biggest players on tour, and with the 2021 Wimbledon final and ten ATP titles one of the most successful Italian tennis players of all time. After several injury breaks he is currently number 43 in the ATP world rankings (as of 31 August 2026) – behind Jannik Sinner, Lorenzo Musetti and Flavio Cobolli, who now lead Italy's strong generation.

To the top of the world game without major ups and downs

From the end of 2016 onwards, Matteo Berrettini moved steadily up the rankings. In 2017 he celebrated his first title on the Challenger Tour, beating Serbia's Laslo Đere comfortably in two sets (6-3, 6-4) in the final of the tournament in San Benedetto. In the same year he made his main-draw debut at ATP Tour level, at the Masters in his home city of Rome, which he himself names as his favourite tournament. There, however, he had to bow to his compatriot Fabio Fognini. A year later Berrettini won his first ATP Tour title at the Swiss Open in Gstaad. One special detail: the Italian did not only win his first singles title there, beating Spanish all-rounder Roberto Bautista Agut in two tight sets, but also his first doubles title alongside Daniele Bracciali. In 2019 Matteo Berrettini made his definitive breakthrough on the ATP Tour with two further tournament wins as well as solid performances at Masters events and strong results at Wimbledon and the US Open.

In 2019 his performances saw him voted "ATP Most Improved Player of the Year". It was also the year in which he faced his two idols Roger Federer (Wimbledon fourth round) and Rafael Nadal (US Open semi-final) for the first time, though he had to take a defeat on each occasion. Also in 2019, his relationship with Australian tennis player Ajla Tomljanovic became public.

Aggressive and delicate tennis combined

Matteo Berrettini is feared on tour for his heavy forehand and his fast serve, which can reach up to 235 kilometres per hour. Because of his offensive style of play, it is not unusual for rallies to last only a few shots. His serve allows him to put his opponents under further pressure with serve and volley. His supposedly weakest shot is the two-handed backhand. He can, however, make up for that deficit with an elegantly struck backhand slice, which neutralises his opponents' shots and gives him time to prepare his quickly swung forehand. Because of his aggressive way of playing tennis, unforced errors pile up in Berrettini's matches. In the majority of his encounters, though, the winners dominate and ultimately carry him to victory.

Drop shots as an additional weapon

Alongside his offensive style, Matteo Berrettini is excellent at breaking his opponents' rhythm with drop shots just behind the net. This tactical move is increasingly becoming Berrettini's trademark and is used by him regularly on both the backhand and the forehand side. Should the drop shot alone not be enough, the Italian can bring his outstanding volley skills into play to finish the point in his favour.

The highlights of Matteo Berrettini's tennis career

The autumn of 2019 took Berrettini into the world's top ten for the first time. His flight that year also brought him a place in his first Grand Slam semi-final, at the US Open. On the way there he beat Russia's Andrey Rublev and French crowd favourite Gaël Monfils among others. He wore down the latter in a hard-fought five-set match, becoming the first Italian since 1977 to reach the semi-finals of the year's last Grand Slam. There he had to bow to tennis star Rafael Nadal. His outstanding performances in 2019 earned him a place in the field for the ATP Finals. At the season finale he lost his group matches to both Roger Federer and Novak Đoković, but claimed a win over Dominic Thiem, making him the first Italian ever to win a match at that tournament.

His greatest success to date followed in 2021: after winning the grass-court classic at Queen’s, Berrettini became the first Italian ever to reach the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Novak Đoković in four sets (7-6, 4-6, 4-6, 3-6). In the same year he achieved his best Masters 1000 result to date in Madrid – the final, which Alexander Zverev won – and took another title at the Serbia Open in Belgrade. After the semi-finals at the 2022 Australian Open he reached his career high of number 6 in the world on 31 January 2022; in the summer of 2022 two more grass titles followed in Stuttgart and again at Queen’s.

Comeback, Davis Cup and the 2026 season

After injury-plagued years, Berrettini managed an impressive comeback in 2024: with titles in Marrakesh, Gstaad and Kitzbühel he took his tally to ten ATP singles titles and was voted "ATP Comeback Player of the Year". Even more important for the Italian fans: Berrettini was a key figure in Italy's Davis Cup triumphs in 2024 and 2025 – in Bologna in 2025 he secured the third title in a row against Spain together with Flavio Cobolli, with an almost flawless Davis Cup record of 12-2. The 2026 season began with another injury, but in Monte-Carlo he beat Daniil Medvedev and at the French Open he reached the quarter-finals after a match of more than five hours against Francisco Comesaña, only to retire injured. At the 2026 US Open his run ended in the second round against Mariano Navone. Fans can therefore keep hoping for the Roman's next display of serving power.

Matteo Berrettini's equipment: racket, shoes & outfit at Tennis-Point

In the Tennis-Point online shop you will find the tennis products Matteo Berrettini uses on the professional tour:

Tennis racket: Berrettini plays with a racket from the HEAD Extreme line (tournament version based on the Extreme Pro, 100 square inch head, 16x19 string pattern) – a frame whose spin potential and depth suit his offensive baseline game perfectly while also allowing his delicate drop shots. Anyone who plays offensively and wants to drive balls with plenty of spin from mid-court is well served by this model line; you will find the brand's complete selection among our HEAD tennis rackets.

Tennis shoes: Since 2022 Berrettini has worn shoes from ASICS, specifically from the Gel-Resolution series – the brand's stability and endurance model, built for hard changes of direction and long matches. The complete men's range is available among our ASICS tennis shoes for men.

Tennis clothing: Also since 2022 the Italian has played in outfits from BOSS, with whom he has developed his own collections – before the switch he wore the Italian home brand Lotto. Shirts, shorts and jackets in Berrettini style can be found in our BOSS tennis clothing for men.

Strings, bag & accessories: For his strings Berrettini relies on the "Firestorm" from Signum Pro – a polyester string that gives his flat, fast shots control. His racket bag and his overgrips come, like his racket, from HEAD.