"Took me months to recover" - Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini get real about 'heartbreaking' first breakups

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini participated in the ATP 500 event at Rotterdam, the ABN AMRO Open held from February 1 to 9, 2025. During the event's interaction video with players, both revealed insights from their personal lives.

Tsitsipas, the sixth seed, suffered a straight-sets defeat to a qualifier, Mattia Bellucci in the quarterfinals. Berrettini faced an early exit in the first round, losing to Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 6-7(7), 7-6(4). Griekspoor's journey ended in the second round at the hands of Tsitsipas.

In a fun interaction dropped by the organizers on the event's social media handles, the two answered some questions regarding their first breakups (01:02 onward). The partners’ names remain unknown.

“The first breakup was in 2019. I was heartbroken badly. It took me a few months to recover,” Stefanos Tsitsipas said.

When the Italian was asked, first he humorously tried to escape the question but later he said:

“2019, after 3 years. It wasn't easy, but that's life.”

The interviewer asked a follow-up question:

“Were you heartbroken, or did you break her heart?”

Matteo Berrettini just laughed out loud.

Tsitsipas’ first kiss was at age… 21??? byu/theriverjordan intennis

The tournament has reached its conclusion with Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur fighting it out for the ultimate glory on Sunday, February 9.

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Where will Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini play next?

Stefanis Tsitsipas (L) and Matteo Berrettini at the 2023 United Cup - Source: Getty

World No. 12 Stefanos Tsitsipas played as a wild card entry at Rotterdam and now is set to play the Middle Eastern swing. He added his name to both the ATP 500 events, the Qatar Open, and the Dubai Tennis Championship. This will only be the second time he is participating in the Qatar Open. The last time he participated was in 2018 when he reached the quarterfinals and was defeated by Dominic Thiem in straight sets.

The two-time finalist at the Dubai Tennis Championship is set to make his comeback at the event after four years. He reached the finals in consecutive years, 2019 and 2020, but suffered straight-sets defeats on both occasions—falling to Roger Federer in 2019 and Novak Djokovic in 2020.

Tsitsipas has been struggling since February 2024, as that was the first time when he fell out of the top 10 world rankings in five years. Since then, he has struggled to maintain his usual momentum, managing just one ATP title victory at the Monte Carlo Masters. He will aim to rediscover his peak performance in the upcoming tournaments and make a strong push to re-enter the top 10 rankings.

Meanwhile, Matteo Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist and former World No. 6 has faced a significant decline in his career. He has been plagued by injuries, which have kept him from competing in key tournaments and dropped his ranking to World No. 92. However, 2024 offered glimpses of a resurgence as he claimed two ATP titles, triumphing at the Gstaad Open and the Vienna Open, improving his ranking to World No. 32.

Berrettini was also instrumental in Italy's historic Davis Cup victory, the first since 1976. He delivered a flawless performance, winning all three of his matches—two in singles and one in doubles—solidifying his reputation as a vital team player and a force to be reckoned with on the global stage.

The Italian has confirmed his participation in four upcoming hardcourt tournaments. His schedule includes the Middle Eastern swing, featuring Doha and Dubai, followed by the double masters: Indian Wells and Miami. In all four tournaments, Berrettini has never advanced to the quarterfinals in his career. He will be eager to break that trend and make a deeper run this time.