Matteo Berrettini says he would have “signed with my blood” to put together a good run at Wimbledon.
The 2021 runner-up has been dealing with a persistent abdominal issue that caused him to withdraw from his title defence at Queen’s Club, but he advanced to the fourth round after beating Alexander Zverev.
Berrettini, forced to withdraw from Wimbledon last year due to COVID-19, revealed on the court after his third-round victory that he had spent many days crying in bed as he struggled to recover.
“If they told me a few weeks ago you’re going to play five days in a row in Wimbledon, I would have signed with my blood,” the Italian said later.
“I really spent days in bed thinking about the tournaments that I missed, the injuries that I had, sadness that I was feeling. I was like, ‘I have to come back and feel alive when I play’.
“That’s the energy I have right now. It doesn’t matter how tired I am. In the morning, go there, enjoy. I find that extra energy that maybe a few years ago I took for granted.”
The unseeded Berrettini travelled to London believing he may have to miss Wimbledon for a second year in a row after dropping to 38th in the rankings.
“I wasn’t sure even if I was going to play,” he said. “I flew here and I said maybe the atmosphere is going to help me a little bit.
“I was really not sure about it. Not because I didn’t want to. In order to play a slam, you have to be ready physically, emotionally, mentally. There are many things.
“The will is not enough. But then I have to say I did a great job with my team. We worked really hard. They let me decide. A few days before, I thought, ‘I’m not ready’.
“But then I missed too many events in the last years. I couldn’t leave this place without trying. That’s what I said to myself. I think this place has something special. I feel a kind of energy I don’t feel anywhere else.”
Berrettini, one of the best grass-court players in the tournament, will next try to defeat top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who has yet to advance past the fourth round at the All England Club.
