QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 18, 2025

Matteo Berrettini

Press Conference

M. BERRETTINI/N. Djokovic

7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Who has the first question?

Q. Congrats on your first win against Novak Djokovic. So take us through the roller coaster of emotions, from the moment you knew your first round opponent was Novak, until the moment you secured your first win against one of the greatest players of all time.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, when the draw came out I wasn't really (laughing) the happiest, you know. Like, especially playing against Novak here, and everyone is for him. On hard court, he's one of the toughest ever, like toughest opponent you can ever play on hard court.

But at the same time I told my team that I wanted to take this chance to enjoy the match, to take my chances, to play aggressive, to try to do what we've been working on in the last month.

I think that was the key. I was aggressive, I was serving well, trying to be aggressive on the return as well, which is really important.

Yeah, so on the match point, I just, I think I smiled, you know, like just happiness. Like I said in the interview on court, I think that's for these matches I train and I sacrifice whatever you sacrifice for. It's a great life, but, you know, some sacrifice, and you train on days that you don't want to train, you know, for these matches, these occasions, and today was a really good one.

Q. I want to ask you, you lost four times to Djokovic, and this is your first win. I want to ask you about...

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Thanks for reminding me. Thank you.

Q. Sorry.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: (Laughing). It's okay. It was a joke. It was a joke.

Q. What's the difference between lose four matches, I mean, what makes difference today for you against Djokovic?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: It was a long time ago, and it was obviously a different part of my career, and maybe also different part of Novak's career. I perfectly know that it's different playing Novak in a tournament like this or in the finals in a Grand Slam, obviously, a best-of five.

But at the same time, I think my level was really high. I was playing well, I was being, like I said before, I was being aggressive. He couldn't control the pace of the rally too much, which was one of the goals of the match.

I think the difference was that I didn't lose the court, you know, when I was playing. I didn't, I wasn't too far back. Sometimes what's happening with Novak is that. I kept just hitting the ball, and doesn't matter if you miss or you win the point, I have to do the right things. I think I stick to the plan, and that was the key.

Q. Again, the lose four matches, all were in big tournaments, let's say ATP Finals once and three Grand Slam tournaments. What's the difference between playing Djokovic on those big tournaments and playing in an ATP 500 in terms of mentally?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I mean, I remember first time in London when we played, I never, I think, yeah, I practice with him once before that a couple of times. Then I remember that Alessandro, my actual coach, was there as a friend of mine, and after the match he told me, like, I think someone was telling him where you were serving. Because I served 72 percent the first serves and I lost one in two, indoors, on hard court.

So it was really impressive for the first time. I felt like this guy's on a different level, you know, I have to train hard to try to have a chance to beat him.

Then I think it's about experience, playing against these kind of guys, him, Roger, Rafa. And in the slams was always, I always felt like he was studying my game. I always won, you know, I think two times I won the first set. In Paris also I had my chances in the fourth. I was always feeling like he was studying my game, and then at a certain point he could understand what he had to do in order to beat me.

So I think today he couldn't do that because I was too aggressive, I was playing well, and I didn't give him the chance. But I'm not saying that this tournament is not important, I'm just saying that playing best-of-five is different than playing best-of-three.

Q. Today you are serving great, and your forehand was great. You just said that you have been training for being aggressive, so is that something that you are trying like the beginning of this season, or just in general? And like last year during the summer you had amazing period of weeks and some things, but a bit tough time with second half of the year. So is any something you changed between like last year and this year?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Being aggressive was always the key, I think, in my game. In some tournaments I can do it better and the conditions are feeling my tennis better.

Being aggressive, it's not just, for example, going to the net, or just hitting the ball hard. It's just working to have the chance to hit the ball hard or hit a winner. So this is something obviously that I've been working since a long time.

Then, with all the injuries and stuff, you know, sometimes I had to not work or something to improve, just I had to work to come back, which is different than improving. That's why I would say that, right now, after last year, I feel a better player than few years ago. Obviously the ranking is different, but I think today was the proof, you know, that my level is really high, I feel that.

Then, last year, obviously I know I didn't have the second half of the season, but the first half of the season was full of matches, but also injuries as well. I start in March, so, you know, I think overall it was a great season. And then obviously, again, you always ask yourself to win, but I learned so much about that, and hopefully this season it's going to be longer and full of matches as well.

Q. Novak earlier described your performance as a master class. I just wondered, hearing that sort of praise from someone like him, if you've got any reaction to that.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I think he told me at the net, but, you know, I was, like, everybody was screaming, and I was trying to tell him that I finally, you know, got him (laughing). In Italian we normally speak, and I was really happy. So I think I heard that, but then in the moment I couldn't really understand well. So it's obviously a great honor when someone like that, like Novak is saying that.

I really felt it was one of my best matches of my career. I was feeling really good from the first point. But then, against Novak, you have to, you know, be able to play that kind of tennis for two potentially three hours. So I was prepared for that, really happy with my performance, and I think, yes, like I said before, I was really consistent, and the more the match was going on the more I was feeling good, so that was a good sign.

Q. Last weekend you were in Riyadh as an ambassador for the PIF, so I want to ask you about this partnership with PIF, and a quick message for the Saudi fans and Arabian fans in general.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, I was there for a couple of days before coming here. I received a really warm welcome. I've been there the end of 2022, and I could see how the city changed a little bit after. You know, it's definitely a country that is growing up a lot. I had the luck and the honor to share the court with kids, which is the focus of this partnership, you know, helping kids all around the world to have chances to play, you know, because I know how tough tennis can be.

I come from a country that is, you know, I've been feeling really lucky, the help of my parents, and the federation, a lot of things, you know, my tennis club back then, they were helping me. Tennis is such an expensive sport, so with PIF we're trying to help these kind of kids to help develop tennis all around the world, and I think it's something that makes me proud.

When little kids are coming saying, I'm wearing the hat backwards like you. I'm trying to hit the forehand like you. They were asking, like, how you handle pressure, how you handle fear, and I could see myself in those kids. So when you have a partnership that can help that, I think it's perfect.