Matteo Berrettini is looking to start on a clean slate in 2024, and he has finally named his new coach ahead of the upcoming ATP season.
The injury-stricken Italian will work with one of Rafael Nadal's former coaches, Francisco Roig, in 2024, where he is expected to make his return from a freak ankle injury he sustained at the US Open last September.
There were reports that Berrettini would appoint former World No. 4 Thomas Enqvist as his new coach beginning next season and even trained in his presence. However, that contractual obligation didn't materialize because the Swede did not take up the offer due to personal issues.
The appointment of Roig is a significant coup for Berrettini, who hopes his new coach will have a similar impact in steering him out of the mud, just like he did with Nadal between 2005 and 2022. Roig was more of an assistant coach to the Spaniard, first working together with Toni Nadal and then Carlos Moya.
Roig, 55, briefly worked with former US Open champion and WTA star Sloane Stephens from the start of December 2022 until May 2023, when the American player confirmed during a press conference at the French Open that their partnership had run its course.
Berrettini endured a season to forget in 2023, losing his spot as one of Italy's top-ranked players. His ranking has plummeted to a low of 92 ahead of the new season, where he has signed up to play in Brisbane - his first tournament since his ill-fated injury blow in New York.
Unless he is granted a wild card, Berrettini will have to play qualifying, making his road to the top even longer, and doubts regarding his long-term fitness remain there. Berrettini doesn't qualify for a Protected Ranking because his injury hiatus occurred intermittently during the season and did not last for at least six months.
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