"They turned me around like a toy pedal, I did many tests" - Matteo Berrettini opens up about fitness issues and mental stress of dealing with them

Matteo Berrettini recently talked in detail about the mental struggle he went through while trying to overcome his fitness issues.

Berrettini started calendar year 2023 as World No. 16 but slumped to the 92nd spot in the ATP rankings by December-end. The fall could be attributed to his form and inability to compete consistently due to injuries and the mental stress they brought.

In a recent press conference online, Berrettini revealed that he underwent rigorous medical testing to identify the root cause of problems.

"They turned me around like a toy pedal, I did many tests to understand, there are a thousand reasons, perhaps the stress that tennis brings, it certainly leads to high stress, which however does not justify so many things," he said. (via Corriere dello Sport)

The downward spiral for the Italian began in 2022. To begin with, he damaged his strong hand in March and was forced to sit out the French Open among other tournaments.

A few months later, he contracted the Covid-19 virus that ruled him out of Wimbledon. Furthermore, he suffered a foot injury in the Napoli Cup final, where he lost to compatriot Lorenzo Musetti.

In 2023, Berrettini competed in 12 tournaments and failed to win any of them. Moreover, he ended four of his 12 campaigns with injury-induced retirements, the most notable being the withdrawal caused by an ankle twist at the US Open.

Nevertheless, the Italian looked certain to start the 2024 season at the Australian Open but eventually pulled out with a troubled right foot. The absence meant he stumbled further in the rankings and now sits at the 129th spot.

In the press conference, Berrettini, however, sounded optimistic about his future as the tests had not brought any disastrous results.

"The positive things are that no incredible deficits have emerged, things have emerged that I need to work on, such as that I have had scoliosis since I was little, we are working a lot on posture, even on rotations, due to my abdominal problems. We are working hard, including adding team members," the 27-year-old added.

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Matteo Berrettini - "It started from the physical problem, not the mental one"

Matteo Berrettini

In the aforementioned press conference, Matteo Berrettini said it was only physical problems that bothered him initially but he failed to overcome those troubles.

"It certainly always started from the body, not feeling well physically. What happened is that I felt tired of overcoming these physical problems, it was as if I had exhausted that energy reservoir," Berrettini said.

According to him, he carried the troubles for long enough and they began hampering his mental health.

"Therefore, I found myself in a stalemate where I didn't know what to hold on to. But it started from the physical problem, not the mental one, but things go hand in hand," Matteo Berrettini added.