Currently ranked just outside the Top 40, after falling outside the Top 150 on March 4, Berrettini opened his Vienna campaign Monday with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Marton Fucsovics. The Rome native has raised his career trophy haul to 10 with a trio of clay-court triumphs this year.
Would the 18-year-old version of himself be surprised to learn that given his strengths as a competitor, not one of those titles would involve a hard court?
“I would say I’m more surprised about my results on grass because I grew up having more time on clay,” says Berrettini, who owns four titles to go with a 42-11 tour-level record on grass.
“I think 18-year-old me would be really proud of the journey that we’ve been through. I got my first ATP point at 19, my first ATP win at 22. I was kind of late but my journey was really nice. A lot of good things happened along the way.”
Berrettini is making his third Vienna appearance, having reached the semifinals on his debut five years ago. The man who stopped him that year? One Dominic Thiem.
