A jubilant Matteo Berrettini declared his profound affection for tennis, calling it the “love of my life,” following his advancement to a Grand Slam quarter-final, an achievement he hadn’t secured in nearly four years.
The thirty-year-old athlete defeated Juan Manuel Cerundolo from Argentina with scores of 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (8-6). He is now one of three Italian players to reach the quarter-finals, marking a historic first for the Open era, even though the top-ranked Jannik Sinner was eliminated early in the second round.
Tenth seed Flavio Cobolli triumphed over Zachary Svajda in a four-set match, concurrently, Matteo Arnaldi endured over five hours of play to overcome the nineteenth seed, Frances Tiafoe.
Arnaldi, currently ranked 104th globally, is set to face Berrettini in what will be his debut Grand Slam quarter-final, thus ensuring that a minimum of one Italian competitor—and at least one player positioned outside the top 100—will advance to the semi-finals.
Berrettini, who was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2021, attained his highest career ranking of world number six in 2022 but has since fallen to 105th due to persistent injuries and ongoing fitness struggles.
Berrettini remarked, “This sport is the passion of my existence; otherwise, my presence here would be inexplicable.”
He continued, “Despite enduring numerous obstacles, various injuries, and difficult periods, I have managed to return once more.
“There were instances when returning to play felt exceptionally challenging, as I was neither prepared nor certain of my self-assurance – however, I now feel excellent,” he added.
Berrettini holds the distinction of being the lowest-ranked player to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals since Igor Andreev achieved the feat in 2007.
