Matteo Berrettini is a happy man in his new relationship but for some reason its impact on his career is always discussed.
In the past, the Italian dated fellow tennis player Ajla Tomljanovic, and back then no one discussed their relationship as a possible cause for their losses. The two are not dating anymore for quite some time, and a few months later, Berrettini found love again.
This time, he dates Italian presenter Melissa Satta and it seems to be the number one topic surrounding his career but also the one that news outlets in Italy discuss a lot. Berrettini, who holds a 7-7 win-loss record in 2023, discussed his relationship in a recent interview, saying:
"It makes me smile, on the one hand it's positive because it means that tennis is one of the most popular sports in Italy. Everyone talks about it and sees me around."
The Italian struggled to understand how having a relationship could possibly affect his performances on the ATP Tour. Many other players are also in a relationship, and the impact on their performances is almost never discussed.
"On engagement I struggle to answer, I can not conceive how a relationship can allow you not to do your job, but people talk. We live in the era of social media, where everyone can say anything and it seems to me as if general education has been lost. In the end, however, I am happy, this is what matters."
At the upcoming 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, Berrettini will start in the first round against Maxime Cressy from the United States with the winner of the match taking on either the 11th-seeded Cameron Norrie or Francisco Cerundolo in the next round.