"Have you always been so ugly?" - Andy Roddick sarcastically teases Matteo Berrettini about his looks

Andy Roddick recently teased Matteo Berrettini in a light-hearted way about his looks. The American jokingly asked if the Italian had been "ugly" since childhood.

Berrettini, who struggled with multiple injuries last year, ended his 2023 season after the US Open. He took a six-month break before returning in March 2024 and won an ATP 250 tournament in Marrakech a month later.

The Italian encountered another setback by withdrawing from the French Open because he felt he wasn't ready for five-set matches. However, he rebounded impressively during the grasscourt season, reaching the final of the Stuttgart Open and securing titles at the Swiss Open and the Austrian Open.

Matteo Berrettini's North American hardcourt swing, though, got off to a rough start as he was defeated by 15th seed Holger Rune in the opening round of the Cincinnati Masters. Before the event, the former Wimbledon finalist appeared on Andy Roddick's podcast, 'Serve with Andy Roddick,' where the American playfully teased him about his appearance.

"I think we should rip the band-aid off and if this gets too personal, too heavy, just let me know. Have you always been so ugly and how did you overcome it? Was it tough? Has it been tough and hard? Harder than we would understand," Roddick said (at 26:10).

Berrettini replied:

"Believe it or not, when I was born, obviously for my grandma, for my mom, I was the most beautiful kid and my brother was born and there was a problem, you know. He is actually blonde with green eyes, so we weren't sure, you know. Then, growing up, something changed, the beard started to grow. I got my first beard when I was 22, I think."

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Matteo Berrettini's next destination is US Open 2024

Matteo Berrettini (Source: Getty)

Matteo Berrettini will next compete at the 2024 US Open. The last Grand Slam tournament of the year runs from August 26 to September 8.

This is the Major where Berrettini injured his ankle last year, leading to an end to his season and a long break from tennis. He was forced to retire during his second-round match against Arthur Rinderknech while trailing 4-6, 3-5.

After the incident, the 28-year-old took to Instagram to express his disappointment, saying it wasn't how he had envisioned his campaign ending.

"Certainly not the way I hoped my US Open would end. I have been working closely with medical experts since I left the court. We are now waiting for scan results to determine the best next steps. Thank you very much for all the kind messages. I will provide a further update soon," he wrote.

Matteo Berrettini will aim for his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows. His best performance at a Major so far has been reaching the Wimbledon final in 2021, and he will be looking to improve on that and take home the trophy this time.