Matteo Berrettini says he has returned to full fitness ahead of the Australian Open

Speaking to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport, World No. 7 Matteo Berrettini has said that he has recovered from the injury he sustained in the ATP Finals.

The Italian entered the competition in Turin as the sixth seed but suffered an abdominal injury during his match against Alexander Zverev, which forced him to retire. He eventually pulled out of the tournament and was replaced by compatriot Jannik Sinner. Berrettini later skipped the Davis Cup Finals as well.

Berrettini recently revealed that his recovery is complete and that he has returned to training ahead of the 2022 season.

"Fortunately, the injury passed relatively quickly and I am now healthy again. I was able to train very well in the preparation period. I trained in Florida, where I found excellent conditions and had many top players to compete with," the 25-year-old said.

Berrettini said that one area he focused on during the off-season was his serve.

"I have to learn to make my game more vertical. And I have to keep working on my serve so that it remains a strength."

Matteo Berrettini to start 2022 season at the ATP Cup

Berrettini won his first ATP 500 title at the Queen's Club Championships this year

The Italian had a fairly impressive 2021 as he reached his maiden Masters 1000 final in Madrid. However, his best performances came in the grasscourt season.

Berrettini won his maiden ATP 500 title at the Queen's Club Championships by defeating Cameron Norrie in the final. He followed that up by reaching the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets after taking the opener.

The Italian also lost to the Serb in the quarterfinals of the French Open and the US Open.

Having returned to full fitness, Berrettini will start 2022 at the ATP Cup where he will represent Italy. He helped them reach the final this year and will be keen on replicating that achievement and going one step further to lift the trophy.

Italy has been drawn with Australia, Austria and Russia. They had been defeated by the Russians in last year's ATP Cup final. Berrettini's first match of the competition is against Alex de Minaur.

After the ATP Cup, the 25-year-old will compete at the Australian Open where he reached the fourth round this year.