Matteo Berrettini looks like he may see the light of day at long last and will play his first tournament of the new season.
Berrettini, who was forced to withdraw from the Brisbane International qualifying this past weekend, has been tormented by injuries for nearly a year. He played just 26 matches last season and was forced to shut his campaign after hurting his ankle during a second-round match at the US Open.
That setback has been Berrettini's real kryptonite. He was forced to watch from the stands in Malaga as Italy won its first Davis Cup title in 47 years. Because of his limited on-court time, Berrettini's ranking has taken a sharp nosedive.
Once Italy's top-ranked ATP player, Berrettini has lost that honor to the fast-rising Jannik Sinner. The 27-year-old is hovering just inside the world's Top 100 at a low of 92. He didn't even meet the cut-off entry for the main draw in Brisbane.
Berrettini was registered to play at the ASB Classic in Auckland, but only as an alternate for a main draw berth, because his plummeted ranking would have been sufficient only for qualifying.
But according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian has packed his suitcases and will be on a flight to Melbourne on Saturday, January 6th, which effectively rules him out from playing any warm-up tournaments before the year's first Grand Slam.
His sore foot has been responding positively in the past few days. Therefore, Berrettini's first tournament of 2024 will be the Australian Open, which is set for a historic Sunday start. The power-hitting Italian will be in the company of a new coach - Francisco Roig.
The Spaniard is a familiar name on the tennis tour, having worked with compatriot Rafael Nadal for many years before leaving the camp to coach WTA star Sloane Stephens. Roig's partnership with the American lasted only six months and has since answered Berrettini's call to become his coach in 2024.
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