Matteo Berrettini plans to make his comeback at the ATP Challenger tournament in Phoenix after being sidelined for a long time with an injury.
Berrettini was one of the players seeking to make a breakthrough and win a Grand Slam in recent years. He came close in 2021, when he was the Wimbledon runner-up to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
However, the Italian has suffered from physical issues since then and picked up a serious injury at last year's US Open. Berrettini ruptured a right ankle ligament during his second-round match against Arthur Rinderknech.
This has led to a difficult time away from the sport, although Berrettini says he has been inspired by his compatriot Jannik Sinner. The Australian Open champion has also said Berrettini's impressive achievements should not be forgotten.
There is now light at the end of the tunnel for the former Grand Slam runner-up. He is planning to play his first event in over six months at the Challenger 175 tournament in Phoenix.
Challenger 175 events were created by the ATP last year. They take place during the second week of some of the ATP Masters 1000 events. Typically, players who exit early at the Masters tournaments will enter them.
The Challenger 175 in Phoenix will take place during the second week of the Indian Wells Open next month. Berrettini played at the Challenger event last year and was the No. 1 seed. He lost in the quarterfinal to Alexander Shevchenko.
The Italian seems to feel that returning at a Masters 1000 event is too risky for a first tournament back. A Challenger 175 tournament could be the perfect level to make his very welcome comeback to professional tennis.
The ATP Tour is certainly better with the powerful Berrettini playing regularly. Hopefully, the tournament in Phoenix will be the start of an injury-free season for him.
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