Matteo Berrettini has expressed his desire to play against Swiss legend Roger Federer for one more time. The latter has been ruled out of the ongoing US Open 2022 due to a knee injury. The Swiss player is expected to be back in action in the upcoming Laver Cup this year. In the tournament, he will represent Team Europe alongside heavyweights like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Casper Ruud.
Meanwhile, Matteo has expressed his desire to play against Federer after knowing the latter might play in the Laver Cup. The Italian stated that Roger was his idol growing up which is why he want to see him on the court badly. Berrettini, 26, added that Roger is still great for the game and has taken the game to a higher level. Matteo further added that he wishes a speedy recovery for the Swiss legend
“The reason why I'm here now is Roger. He was my idol when I was growing up. I was cheering for him. So I want him back really badly,” he revealed.
“I think (he) was great, is still great for tennis. He brought tennis to even, like, a higher level, just for the stuff he did on court, off court. Like Serena, I guess, one of a kind, you know?” he added.
“I wish him, like, really a speedy recovery, whatever he's doing to come back. Yeah, I wish I could play like one more time against him,” he said.
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"The reason why I'm here now is Roger"
🎥 @usopen pic.twitter.com/aqmq3eNkNU
— Allez Roger (@fedrermoment) September 3, 2022
Berrettini has played against Federer twice. Both times, the former lost, first at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships and the 2019 ATP World Tour Finals. The Italian was slated to face off against Federer, once again, in the fourth round of the 2021 French Open, but the former World No. 1 withdrew before the match. It will be interesting to see how Federer goes about his business after recovery.