Team Italy retained the Davis Cup in Malaga on Sunday, and Matteo Berrettini could not hide his love and admiration for Jannik Sinner afterward.
The Italians won the prestigious team event for the first time since 1976 last year. Sinner sealed that triumph by thrashing Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-0 in the final to secure a 2-0 victory against Australia.
History repeated itself this year. Back-to-back Davis Cup titles were confirmed for Team Italy when Sinner defeated Tallon Griekspoor to ensure the Netherlands were defeated. The Dutch team can still be very proud of their shock run to the final, though.
Although Sinner won the final match, Berrettini's role in his country's Davis Cup triumph should never be forgotten. He led the Italian team in September's group stage when Sinner could not play after winning the US Open.
Berrettini stepped up by winning all three of his singles matches, meaning he was the most significant reason why Team Italy could top the group and qualify for last week's finals in style.
After not being chosen for the singles in the quarterfinal against Argentina, Berrettini teamed up with Sinner to get the decisive win needed in the final match of the tie to confirm a place in the semifinal.
The 2021 Wimbledon runner-up defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis in an epic three-set battle in the semifinal before Sinner beat Alex de Minaur for the second consecutive year to ensure Team Italy beat Australia once again.
Berrettini's 2024 Davis Cup heroics continued with a resounding triumph against Botic van de Zandschulp before Sinner's win against Griekspoor. That meant Berrettini did not lose a match in this year's Davis Cup.
After Team Italy's run to the title, Berrettini spoke emotionally about his friend Sinner and outlined what made him such a special talent on the court. He also called the 23-year-old the most humble player possible.
"I think I speak for everyone, it’s a special experience. Last year when we were here, we looked at each other and said ‘this guy is special, he is different.' We had never seen anyone hit so hard, so flat and make so few mistakes. It seemed like he never made mistakes. Since then he has only lost six matches and proved to be the best in the world."
"But as you have seen, he is the most humble player there is. He came here as if he had not won the ATP Finals. He showed great respect for the team. Before entering the doubles against Argentina, he asked the whole team if anyone was okay with that decision and that is something special."
The 2024 Davis Cup win was particularly incredible for Berrettini after he missed last year's finals due to an injury sustained at the 2023 US Open, and the 28-year-old reflected on that experience.
"Last year was really nice to be here, but at the same time, I remember a moment, like, why did I come? I wasn’t part of the team 100 per cent, but I’m competitive and I want to be part of the team."
"But then at the end of the day, after the whole week, I said it was really important for you to come, because I support them, because I was really happy for them, but also for me. I took so much energy from those matches."