Matteo Berrettini defends his relationship with Melissa Satta amid questions over its impact on his career

Matteo Berrettini has refuted the claims that his relationship with Melissa Satta is causing a negative impact on his career.

Berrettini's poor run of form during the 2023 season has been a popular topic of discussion in the tennis world. The Italian's supposed lack of work ethic and alleged prioritization of his relationship with Melissa Satta have been brought up as potential reasons behind his disappointing results.

On February 18, former Italian tennis player Nicola Pietrangeli criticized Matteo Berrettini's work ethic and suggested that the 26-year-old was dedicating himself more to advertising than to tennis. In addition, some ennis fans recently directed vitriol towards Berretini and his girlfriend for enjoying a beach day amid his poor run of form.

In an interview with Eurosport on April 9, Matteo Berrettini chose to focus on the brighter side of the criticism directed towards him. He emphasized that the attention and scrutiny he received were a testament to the popularity of tennis in Italy.

"It makes me smile, on the one hand it's positive because it means that tennis is one of the most popular sports in Italy. Everyone talks about it and sees me around," Berrettini said.

Nonetheless, the World No. 22 questioned the absurdity of the claims that his relationship was affecting his career. He pointed to the rise of social media as the catalyst behind such criticism. The Italian stated he is content in his relationship and that that is what ultimately matters to him.

"On engagement I struggle to answer, I can not conceive how a relationship can allow you not to do your job, but people talk. We live in the era of social media, where everyone can say anything and it seems to me as if general education has been lost. In the end, however, I am happy, this is what matters," he added.

"I paid the price for this routine" - Matteo Berrettini on his recurring injury woes

Berrettini at the 2023 Australian Open

In the same interview Matteo Berrettini lamented his recurring injuries, which he believes are caused by the hectic tournament schedule.

"In recent years I have always gone to six thousand, I have played many games and unfortunately I have suffered many injuries," Berrettini said. "I paid the price for this routine."

He added that he was working hard to get back into form in time for the Monte-Carlo Masters.

"I'm putting in a lot of work to play as many games as possible. This is a tournament that I particularly care about, I have the confidence to feel the same sensations as some time ago," he said.

Matteo Berrettini will take on Maxime Cressy in his opening match in Monte-Carlo on April 10.