The big serving Italian looks in no mood to stop now as he eyes up a fourth in Vienna.
Matteo Berrettini played his part in an absorbing clash with Frances Tiafoe on Wednesday.
Having had match points in the second set tie-break, the American forced a decider to the delight of the Swiss crowd.
Nearly 80 minutes after his first match points, the Italian got another and made no mistake this time, prevailing 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.
Matteo Berrettini says what he’s most surprised about in career reflection
The Italian has been right up at the top, competing in the Wimbledon final just two years ago.
Berrettini faced six months on the sidelines nursing all manner of niggles and knocks in 2023 – issues that bled into this year.
Returning in March, it took just mere weeks to lift his first title since 2022 in Morocco, before a frustrating combination of fitness and health woes caused the former Wimbledon finalist to miss the French Open, as well as the masters events in Rome and Madrid.
Returning at Wimbledon, he took a set off Jannik Sinner before clinching back-to-back titles in Gstaad and Kitzbühel.
Reflecting on some surprising career successes, the Italian identified exactly what’s shocked him during his time on the tour.
“I would say I’m more surprised about my results on grass because I grew up having more time on clay,” Berrettini explained to Tennis.com, who has four titles to go with a 42-11 tour-level record on grass.
“I think 18-year-old me would be really proud of the journey that we’ve been through. I got my first ATP point at 19, my first ATP win at 22. I was kind of late but my journey was really nice. A lot of good things happened along the way.”
Could Matteo Berrettini make a run at the Australian Open?
If he remains healthy and in form, he is likely to be seeded at the tournament, which would give him a more favorable draw in the early rounds.
Berrettini’s big serve and heavy forehand are well-suited to the hard courts in Melbourne, making him a tough opponent for anyone.
His previous experience of reaching deep in major tournaments, as well as some recent momentum, shows he has the capability to challenge the top players – demonstrated by his victories over Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
With determination and consistent play, Berrettini could be a serious contender.
