"Roger Federer was crying because he was sad" - Matteo Berrettini fondly looks back on joining Swiss at his emotional Laver Cup farewell in 2022

Matteo Berrettini recently revealed the advice he received from Roger Federer as he reminisced about the Swiss' final dance at the 2022 Laver Cup. The Italian, who was out of action for a long time due to an ankle injury, is trying to find his form as he slowly rises the ranks.

Berrettini is currently competing at the BOSS Open and kicked off his tournament with a 7-6(8), 5-7, 7-5 win against Roman Safiullin in a match that lasted two hours and 55 minutes. Ahead of his grass swing, he sat down for an interview with Esquire where he was asked about a valuable tennis advice he was ever given that he wholeheartedly adhered to.

The 28-year-old reminisced about the time he was busy celebrating Roger Federer's last match at the 2022 Laver Cup, while the Swiss was in tears. He revealed that the 20-time Major champion told the players to understand how lucky they were to be able to continue playing and asked them to cherish, enjoy, and work hard so that they could enjoy tennis to its fullest.

"When I was in London [last year] busy celebrating Roger Federer’s last match, he was crying because he was sad about leaving something that he loved so much, and was telling us:"

"You guys have no idea how lucky you are, that you can keep playing. I would give a lot to just be able to play one more match, have one more win, one more important tournament. So keep enjoying, keep striving, because this is the best sport ever and you’ve got to enjoy it.," Berrettini mentioned.

At that moment, Matteo Berrettini said he understood the power of loving what you do and understood that the most important thing was enjoying the ride.

"And I think that's when I really understood the power of loving what you do. That it's in the bad moments and the good moments, it's just enjoying the ride – I’ve tried to do that since."

Matteo Berrettini set to play Dennis Shapovalov in the second round of the BOSS Open

Matteo Berrettini

After surviving the topsy-turvy three-setter in the opening round, Matteo Berrettini will face another tough challenge in the second round against Denis Shapovalov. The Canadian, much like the Italian, has been struggling with form and trying to find his previous rhythm.

This will be the third meeting between the two, with Shapovalov winning the first two matches. The duo's last meeting came in 2019. However, this will be their first match on grass.

The winner of this game will play the winner of James Duckworth vs Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals.