Italian Heartthrob Matteo Berrettini’s Coach Hits Back At Critics To Back Former World No.6 Amid Struggling Times

Hard times reveal true friends. A few days back, Matteo Berrettini parted ways with his long-time coach, Vincenzo Santopadre. The 52-year-old coach has been through thick and thins of the 27-year-old Italian tennis player. He guided Berrettini to 7 career titles and helped him become world no.6 in 2022. Berrettini reached the finals of Wimbledon 2021 under his guidance and then went on to become the first Italian to reach the QFs or better at all 4 majors. But every story has an ending.

Even after an end to the journey which lasted for more than 10 years, Berrettini finds his former coach during his tough times. Matteo Berrettini faced several backlashes recently due to his off-court activities and lack of consistency at the games. But Santopadre thinks otherwise, and he’s quite optimistic about the future of his former student.

Matteo Berrettini’s long-time coach lashes out at the ‘nonsense’ surrounding his former student

Berrettini has missed quite a significant part of the 2023 season due to injuries. But controversies surrounding his personal life have always kept him in the limelight. Recently, Vincenzo Santopadre expressed his optimism regarding the former number 6, on SkySport and here’s what he said.

The 52-year-old coach said that Berrettini’s injuries have played a major role in his drop in the ATP rankings and his confidence. He added, “It’s obvious that a lot of things have happened. Many stupid things have been said, but when you are a public figure like Matteo they are part of the game. Everything that revolves around you also gives rise to nonsense. There was a chain of events where the head and body were probably put to the test. What I like to think is that we need to think ahead and I think there are some good pages to be written by Matteo. He must be in the top 20 in the world, he has what it takes to reach this ranking again. You don’t arrive at no. 6 by chance.“

Berrettini is currently ranked at 92nd place in men’s singles ranking. The road to his comeback won’t be easy either. So, how does he look forward to starting the next season?

Berrettini is on his way to making a comeback at the ‘Land Down Under’

The Italian tennis player had last featured in the US Open this year. He had to give a walkover during the second-round clash against France’s Arthur Rinderknech. Since then, he has been nursing his torn-ankle ligament. But a comeback is on the cards at the moment for Berrettini as he gets his name on the entry list of AO 2024.

READ MORE: Matteo Berrettini Makes Saddening Announcement to Confirm the End of a 13-Year Relationship

Can he capitalize on this opportunity and kick-start his comeback season with style? Well, Berrettini has won only 12 matches this season, and he’s quite low in his confidence. He recently made an honest admission about the hardships he’s going to face in the upcoming tournaments with such a low ranking. Yes, it’ll be complicated, but his fans would surely love him to be back in the top 10. Can he do it? Share your views on this in the comments section.

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