ROME – He belongs to tennis players who, from the point of view of sympathy from the fairer sex, attract many a female eye. No wonder. At 196 centimeters, a true southern darker skin tone and facial stubble, it’s understandable that women like him.
Matteo Berretini, the 26-year-old Italian tennis player and winner of seven ATP Tour titles so far, has been criticized by former two-time Italian Grand Slam champion Nicola Pietrangeli. The 89-year-old native of Tunis recently reproached him for focusing more on earning from advertising outside of tennis than on playing with a racket.
“It seems to me that Matteo is more interested in advertising than in tennis. I wouldn’t like him to end up like Filippo Volandri, who beat Federer in Rome and couldn’t do anything else.
Matteo is a good boy, he reminds me of Pannatta (Roland Garros 1976 winner and the last Italian Grand Slam champion, editor’s note). From the waist up very handsome, but his legs don’t move like they should,” said Pietrangeli to Gazzetta dello Sport about Margo Berrettini, who came to the Australian Open in January with championship ambitions and his steamship went down on the first rock named Andy Murray after a five-set upset.
A tense battle Murray vs. Berrettini at the 2023 Australian Open
Italian tennis currently has a triplet of players in the top 25 – Jannik Sinner (12), Lorenzo Musetti (18) and Matteo Berrettini (24), but it lacks someone who would break the outrageously long curse at Grand Slam events.
The last winner of such an event is called Adriano Panatta, who won Roland Garros 1976. Paradoxically, it was his only Grand Slam title, his Grand Slam maximum in addition to the overall triumph was one quarterfinal at Wimbledon. Panatta also became famous as an excellent doubles partner, triumphing in it 28 times.
But back to Berrettini and Pietrangeli. The almost 90-year-old icon, after whom one court in Rome’s Foro Italico tennis complex is named, is hindered by the fact that the white sport was more attractive and beautiful in the past.
“It’s an uglier sport now. When you were talented in the past, you had to work on your physique. Today, if you’re not a great athlete, you can’t even think about going on the court. Sinner is the best Italian on the circuit at the moment, even when he has a different style than I. Who I like the most is Lorenzo Musetti, his tennis is the most beautiful.
Kyrgios stood up for his colleague
Riman Berrettini, born in part of Lazio, has probably not even had time to properly process what Pietrangeli “imposed” on him, and there has already been a reaction from Australian circles from Nick Kyrgios. The unruly and idiosyncratic Canberra tycoon has his own way and sent Pietrangeli a clear and concise message about what he thinks of his opinion and the fact that Berrettini acts as a global ambassador for the Hugo Boss brand.
“Isn’t it his choice what he prioritizes? I can assure you he makes more than Sinner off the court, and money is important to some of us.” responded the son of a Greek father, George, and a Malaysian mother, Nill.
Berrettini will soon have the opportunity to show that he really takes tennis one hundred percent and will trample on Pietrangeli’s words like an annoying bug. What is not to be seen here is the popular American Sunshine Double in Miami and Indian Wells. Berrettini is in the entry list of both tournaments.
But isn’t it his choice to prioritise? I can assure you this, he is making more bank than sinner off the court and for some of us, money is important
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) February 17, 2023
- Author: © List/Ondrej Herceg
- VIDEO: YouTube/Australian Open TV; Twitter/Nick Kyrgios
- Source: Sports shoes
