It was the 2022 Davis Cup semifinals. Italy was up against Canada in a thrilling last-four encounter that promised a lot of fireworks. One of the star attractions in that tie was Matteo Berrettini, who was returning from injuries and a COVID-19 setback. The Italian played the doubles encounter with Fabio Fognini but suffered a heartbreaking defeat as Italy lost the semifinal tie. Almost two years later, Berrettini returned to the tournament to represent his country, and luck seemed to favor the 28-year-old.

Earlier today, Italy was up against Brazil in the Davis Cup Finals group stage tie. Berrettini was selected to represent his team in the first singles tie against Joao Fonseca, which he won in straight sets 6-1, 7-6. Subsequently, he was thrilled to come out on top after a long Davis Cup hiatus.

During an interview, he expressed joy at representing his country once again, saying, “It was a positive performance, there are a million aspects to analyze. I hadn’t played in Davis Cup for two years and I had a lot of pressure, you know you have to win… I’m fired up, Davis gives me extra energy. I really missed the blue jersey, it seemed like a very distant goal until a few months ago. Being called up to the Davis Cup now is not easy in Italy, it’s a great honor.”

Berrettini’s injury woes began during the early half of the 2022 season when he suffered from hand, abdominal, and leg issues. As a result, he missed the French Open that year. Subsequently, he tested positive for COVID-19, due to which he withdrew from the Wimbledon Championships. Although he played in the Davis Cup in 2022, similar injury problems forced him to miss the tournament the next year. Nonetheless, Berrettini returned with a bang at this year’s edition and is taking some cues from his compatriot, Jannik Sinner.

Matteo Berrettini on Jannik Sinner: ‘Always looking to the future’

Last week, Sinner emerged triumphant at the US Open, lifting his maiden title there. The Italian star defeated Taylor Fritz in a commanding fashion to cement his position at the top of the tennis world right now. Berrettini has been impressed by watching the rise of his compatriot and is looking to pick a leaf out of his books to succeed.

During an interview, Berrettini was asked what he would like to learn from Sinner. Replying to this question, he said, “There are many things I would steal from Jannik. One of all is the dedication to work, the ability to always want to improve. He reached the tennis elite very young and never wanted to stop, and if you hear him talk, he is always looking to the future; that is a quality that great players have.”

With a positive start at the Davis Cup, the job isn’t done yet for Berrettini. He will aim to continue his winning run as Italy eyes the Davis Cup title yet again, having also lifted the title last year.