"Without a bit of compassion": Matteo Berrettini sends blunt message to call out Italian media after comments on Holger Rune injury

Matteo Berrettini showcased his frustration over the Italian media's remarks on Holger Rune's injury. The Italian player is gearing up for his upcoming match at the Vienna Open.

Rune sustained a reportedly season-ending left leg injury during his clash against Ugo Humbert in the semifinal round of the Stockholm Open. Shortly after that, during the Schiaffo al volo podcast on Eurosport Italy, commentator Jacopo Lo Monaco issued a controversial comment, stating that Rune's injury could actually turn into "the best thing that could have happened" to him.

This remark caught the attention of Berrettini, who has also faced multiple injuries in his career, and he expressed his disagreement. One of the users shared screenshots of Berrettini's post on Instagram, where he took a dig at Eurosport Italy, condemning the tone of the discussion.

"Guys I get it all, but this stuff is really chilling, to think an injury of this magnitude could be the best thing to happen to a 22-year-old 11 player in the world is either being in bad faith or understanding very little about this sport and the sport in general. Competitive maturity and not, it comes with time, with defeats, with victories, with matches lost with match points or maybe wins by playing badly. "This is an injury that can radically change a persons life, let alone a career at this level. I always listen and comment almost never, but here the madness is heard, I understand wanting to talk, say your own thing, always, in any case, but to hear that "the curtain popped" without a bit of compassion or sensitivity, as if we were talking about a balloon to burst on the carousel gives me the chills," wrote Matteo Berrettini. (Translated)

Berrettini further spoke about the mental and physical suffering of an athlete after sustaining such an injury at a young age. Additionally, he mentioned that he understands the difficulty of making a comeback after an injury.

When Matteo Berrettini shook off injury woes and exuded confidence after reaching third ATP final in 2024

Matteo Berrettini had a rough start to the 2024 season, as he was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a right foot ailment. It marked his fourth Grand Slam miss out of the last eight because of an injury. However, he steadily recovered and improved his form last year, as he delivered incredible performances at the Challenger Phoenix, Grand Prix Hassan II, and Boss Open.

In July 2024, Berrettini competed at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad. After his showdown against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinal round, he exuded confidence in himself, stating that his level of play was improving.

"Little by little, I am gaining confidence and I notice that my level of play is rising. Tsitsipas is a great player, but today, I felt stronger than him. It means a lot to me to be playing in this final after so many months of problems. I'm ready again," Matteo Berrettini said.

Eventually, Matteo Berrettini won the title against Quentin Halys, registering a straight two-set (6-3, 6-1) win.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam