"After what happened this year I felt more injured inside than outside" - Matteo Berrettini opens up on his injury troubles in 2023

Matteo Berrettini has stated that his injury-filled season has taken a toll on him mentally.

Injuries have seen Berrettini have a stop-start 2023 campaign. After an early exit at the Australian Open, he endured a two-month hiatus due to injuries. He made his comeback at the Mexican Open but failed to achieve any noteworthy results there or in subsequent events.

Then, an abdominal injury forced him to pull out of the Monte-Carlo Masters before his third-round match against Holger Rune. Berrettini made his comeback in Stuttgart, followed by a Round of 16 run at the Wimbledon Championships,

Most recently, the 27-year-old Italian suffered an ankle injury in the second round of the US Open, which led to his withdrawal from the event. This has also forced him to watch from the sidelines as Italy sealed their spot in the 2023 Davis Cup Finals.

In a recent interview, Berrettini gave a positive update on his injury recovery and admitted that dealing with multiple issues this year has affected him mentally.

"I'm recovering well, the injury was less serious than expected. I'm better, after what happened this year I felt more injured inside than outside. These days have helped me find the right energy again, thinking that I can play in Malaga gives me energy," he told Sky Sports Italy.

Despite the troubled season, Berrettini has previously admitted that the time spent on the sidelines has made him rediscover the joy of being a professional tennis player.

"They were bad moments, which I did not like. But they were fundamental to make me rediscover the reasons for the joy of doing what I started as a child and that has occupied my whole life. I thought back to the origins to find myself. The darkness gave me the space to do it," he expressed.

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Injury-troubled season sees Matteo Berrettini drop out of ATP top 50

Matteo Berrettini at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Matteo Berrettini has dropped out of the top 50 of the ATP rankings after exiting the US Open in the second round.

The Italian entered the New York Major ranked World No. 36, where he was defending 360 points thanks to his quarterfinal finish at the tournament last year. The injury-enforced exit from the tournament has had an effect on his ranking.

Coupled with his failure to defend his two titles from 2022: the Stuttgart Open (lost to Lorenzo Sonego 6-1, 6-2 in the first round) and the Queen's Club Championship (withdrew due to injury), Berrettini now finds himself ranked World No. 66.