Matteo Berrettini starred in one of the most thrilling moments of the early stages of Wimbledon by defeating Stan Wawrinka in a genuine epic lasting four hours and twenty minutes, securing not only his passage to the next round but also what could go down in history as Wawrinka's final match on the sacred grass of the All England Club. The fans present in Court 1 were treated to a titanic duel, decided only by successive tie-breaks, and witnessed the farewell of a true legend of world tennis.
The Italian, who had faced physical doubts after retiring in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros against Arnaldi, proved he was back to his best physical and mental form. The final score – 6-7(7), 7-6(16), 7-6(7), 7-6(5) – speaks volumes about the toughness of the match, in which Berrettini saved six set points in an absolutely insane second-set tie-break, finishing 18-16, and also erased two more in the third. In the end, it was the resilience, coolness, and passion of the Roman that prevailed, securing him a dream battle against Arthur Fils in the next round, after the Frenchman also won decisively against Raphael Collignon.
EXPERIENCE THE 2026 WORLD CUP WITH LEGO
The significance of this match goes far beyond the result. This victory restores confidence to Berrettini, who has previously reached the final of Wimbledon, and reignites the discussion about his true potential to return to the grand stages, even after recurring physical issues. For Wawrinka, the match marked his farewell to Wimbledon, a place where he has shone many times, in a goodbye characterized by total commitment and mutual respect between two champions from different generations. For the competition, Wawrinka's elimination opens the door for new stories, while Berrettini establishes himself as one of the players to watch in this edition.
At the end of the match, Berrettini did not hide his emotion and made a point of honoring Wawrinka, not only with words, but also with gestures: he ran over to the Swiss player to hand him the towel he had used in what could have been Stan's last match on London grass. In an interview still on court, Berrettini confessed: “When I saw I was going to play on Court 1, I was even happier. I am grateful to be able to face Wawrinka. He is a legend and proved that again today. I remember meeting him here in 2014 when I was playing as a junior. For my part, I am happy to have held on for so long, to have fought and to have pushed myself. We can train as much as we want for these matches, but when you step onto the court, it’s always different. I love playing best-of-five sets, I love this tournament. I want to thank my team, who have always been by my side since Roland Garros, but the tournament is not over and we will keep going.”
Wawrinka, for his part, had the opportunity for a farewell on stage, speaking directly to the fans: “I didn't want to retire, but I know that the time has come to stop. I continued to play so I could enjoy these moments. I always dreamed of playing here and I am grateful to have been able to do it one last time. Today was a great battle, against a friend and an excellent guy, who deserved the victory. I love this game and it is not easy to say goodbye to the things we love, I want to thank everyone for their support.”
O MUNDIAL 2026 VIVE-SE COM A LEGO
In subsequent statements, still visibly emotional and quoted by Eurosport, Berrettini emphasized the significance of the duel: “These matches and these moments are the reason I continue to play tennis. That’s what I kept telling myself, with the same attitude I had in Paris. I told myself that I deserved to be there, in that great battle, and I tried to stay positive because I really wanted to be present. I worked hard to find myself on Court 1 against a legend of our sport, and that’s what I kept telling myself even when I wasn’t playing my best tennis. I just wanted to fight. I wanted to enjoy that fight and that makes me happy. It makes me happy.”
The Italian also recalled the experience of watching a duel between Federer and Wawrinka as a young man: “It was incredible to feel the crowd cheering for him as well. Normally we want the support for ourselves, but hearing that applause for him during the match was really special. When I came here in 2014, I went to see Federer against Stan in the quarter-finals, if I'm not mistaken. I remember Roger's outside slice on the right – incredible, you knew it was going to happen, but it was impossible to respond. Now, here I am playing against him, with all due respect, and he says to me: 'I'm happy to have played against you,' with tears in his eyes. Maybe I'll only truly understand what happened when I can't sleep tonight. But I am really proud and happy about what is happening.”
As for the next challenge against Arthur Fils, Berrettini expressed excitement and caution: “Yes, I only saw the result, obviously because I was on the court. We know that Arthur is a very strong player and that, despite injuries, he always manages to come back in great shape. I have played against him only once and I withdrew, so I hope that doesn't happen again. It's going to be a very tough match. But I'm happy to play against him: he is a great player, he is playing very well, when he plays he wins. I train for these matches, so I am motivated.”
Berrettini thus advances to the second round of Wimbledon full of confidence, ready to show that he is not in London just to revisit memories, but to write new pages of glory in his journey. Wawrinka's farewell leaves a sense of nostalgia and respect, but tennis never stops – and Berrettini wants to prove that he still has much to give on the grass that has brought him so many emotions.
NOW YOU CAN FOLLOW THE WORLD CUP WITH ALL THE INFORMATION – HERE
Discover more from Apito Final
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
