DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 21, 2025

Matteo Berrettini

Team Italy

Press Conference

M. BERRETTINI/R. Collignon

6-3, 6-4

Team Italy - 1

Team Belgium - 0

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions for Matteo.

Q. Raphael said he thought the crowd was such a big factor in the match - not against him, but so much for you. What were your thoughts on the match today and how you played?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I mean, honestly I think the crowd, it is a factor because we're playing in Italy. That's Davis Cup (smiling).

I don't think that I won because of that. I think I play at the end bad tennis. I should have won the second set... It's tough to say 'should', but I was a set and break, go for a double break. I was playing really good.

I could have done a little bit more in the first break point. But that's tennis. I accepted it. He started to play better. The balls got a little bit bigger. It was tougher to win a point from service games and baseline.

I think because was Davis Cup that he got really pumped. The crowd helped him, as well. I think that's the beauty of Davis Cup. Honestly, a really good performance I would say on my side.

But yeah, (indiscernible) the court so the job is not done yet.

Q. I wanted to ask a little bit about your relationship or friendship with Flavio. There's a video of you two when you were both kids. Could you tell us when you first met him, what he was like, how much it means to you to be playing with him at this Davis Cup.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Hmmm...

So I went to this tennis club in Rome called Aniane when I was 14. I started working with his dad and Vincenzo, that became obviously my long-time coach. Back then Flavio was eight.

That's where we met. I remember him and the brother, Guglielmo. He's younger. Vincenzo and Stefano used to organize these small tournaments, weekend tournaments, where you were playing best-of-three sets, but up to four games. I played a lot of them in Rome. These two kids were always there playing tennis, enjoying the day. We were kind of like baby-sitting them, as well, playing with them.

It's actually crazy that we're in the same team. I look at him now, he's a man now, so... It means that I'm even older, but still a good feeling (laughter).

It really gives me chills to think about this relationship in the years.

Q. I wanted to know about the second set. Were you at one stage worried about the fact that Raphael could eventually turn the match back, like he has done the last three or four matches in Davis Cup? Did you think about it at all? What was your feeling about it?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Obviously I got worried. It was a break point at 3-2. I hit, like, a crazy passing shot. After that, it's crazy how I got so many chances. Then he got a chance. The match turned back, as well.

I was confident in my tennis. I was thinking if I get broken here, I still have the chance to win the match. I still have to fight. It's going to be long for me and for him.

That's the kind of mentality that I always tell myself. I believe in my tennis. I believe that I was playing better than him for a long time. I just have to keep going and good things would have came eventually.

Luckily they came pretty soon and I won the match.

Q. You said you were kind of baby-sitting Flavio when you were younger. What is your relationship now? Are you still a big brother to him?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I'm definitely not baby-sitting him (smiling).

We are practicing together. We are just sharing moments together. I know that he said to someone, I don't remember who, after Miami that he was struggling a little bit. He wasn't crying when I saw him, but he was really sad.

He was walking with Vincenzo's son Matteo, which obviously I know him since a long time, as well. They were walking. I was looking at these two kids. I met them when they were really, really young. I felt like maybe I can tell them something because I've been there struggling, not winning matches. I know Flavio can play really well.

I told him, What are you going to do now?

He was like, I feel like I should just win some matches. I'm going to play a challenger in Naples.

I was like, Flavio, you're 30 in the world. You don't need that. I think your level is up there. Just train two weeks and then things are going to come. Don't worry about it.

He won Bucharest after that. Small things, sometimes because you're a little bit older, wiser, you've been there, you can just tell them don't worry.

I always took this kind of advice from players that were older than me. Obviously everybody has a different path, but at the same time certain things you can see it. Flavio loves this game, he loves to fight.

I just told him, Don't you worry, child (smiling).

Q. When you came into the game, you built your reputation around your forehand. But just to watch the evolution of the way you slice with such precision, can you talk to us about the evolution of the backhand side, how that's become a weapon in your game?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: Yeah, so my slice... We're talking about the past today.

But when I was 17, I got injured on my wrist, my left wrist. I got a big inflammation. I could play with my right hand. Vincenzo back then was like, Let's take this opportunity to improve something we didn't work on. Let's improve your slice backhand.

Since then it became a really big weapon, first of all because at the beginning I wasn't feeling confident with my left wrist, and secondly because I felt like in today's tennis, mixing up is really important, especially on a court like this. Today I think I mix it up really well.

Then it's something that if you play with spin or forehand, you slice, you hit it flat. The opponent doesn't know what you're going to do. You can go down the line, short, long. I feel like it's been pretty successful.

I also recognize that when I abuse that, when I use it too much, I'm starting to run a little bit more. I don't like to run, so I like two hand (smiling).

Q. The other day we were talking about the importance of Davis Cup for you after the comeback started following the injuries. If you had to rate between 1 and 10, with 10 being the best, where would you say you are now, and how much more do you need if it's not a 10 to get exactly where you want to be with your tennis?

MATTEO BERRETTINI: I feel pretty confident right now. I was practicing really well. When I came back and I didn't play for a month and a half, I started practicing with the best guys on tour. I was feeling like I never stopped, right?

I think my tennis is there. It's always been there. Tennis, it's so nice. The beauty of it is that it's a mix of factors, right? It's a mix of confidence, physical condition, mental condition, conditions in general in the tournament.

It's not a secret that I always struggle a little bit more at the end of the season indoors. I like to play on clay a little bit more. I like to play on grass a little bit more. This year I completely skipped that part.

I think my tennis is there. I proved it to myself this year when I played Draper, when I played Novak, when I played Zverev, de Minaur, Fritz. They were really good matches. I think my tennis is there, I just need a little bit of consistency.

I never stopped believing about my level really.