If the present offers us a tennis panorama - and sports in general - torn apart by the consequences of Covid, the past, the last months of regular season, have given us very interesting ideas for the future of Italian tennis. Sinner wins the Next Gen ATP Finals, Berrettini arrives in the semifinals in New York. Today we will talk about them, but not only. A brief excursus on the path, on the technical characteristics and a bet on career. Who will be the Italian tennis player with the most chances to enter the Story and make ourselves great in the eyes of the world.
Matteo Berrettini
Powerful serve, overwhelming forehand. Most know Matteo Berrettini from his path to Us Open 2019, when he reached the semifinals and was beaten in "Straight sets" da Nadal. On that occasion, with a little more clarity, the 24-year-old Roman could also have snatched the first set - the only one fought - from the Majorcan. Nonetheless, his ride remains extraordinary, peppered with illustrious scalps such as Gael Monfils e Andrei Rublev. Many follow it from the season on grass, always 2019. Green is, technically, the surface that most stands out its characteristics and its evolutionary level. In fact, Matteo, playing a tournament in Stuttgart on almost impeccable levels, hits the title without ever giving in to the service and losing a set. It beats such crystalline talents Kyrgios e aliassime and good players like Khachanov e Struff.
In the midst of the agonistic euphoria, the following week he reached the semifinal also at Halle, being stopped only by a very solid Goffin. But his rise is the result of slow and gradual work, which has roots in 2017. That year he won his first Challenger, at San Benedetto, versus You guys. It is in 2018 that he takes a gigantic step forward, grabbing the first ATP trophy, on the red clay of Gstaad, against an always tenacious Bautista Agut. All this up to the aforementioned recent goals and participation in the Finals. "Cap" confirmed a versatility, not to be taken for granted, on all fields, and it is certainly a name to keep an eye on. The only flaw in the repertoire, the reverse, on which it struggles a lot compared to the other fundamentals. But time is on his side.
Is Jannik Sinner THE Italian tennis player of the future?
Sinner he is probably the guy with the most talent and with the most technical and mental propensity to become a level player. Play smoothly, without distinction, forehand and backhand (bimane, performed by bringing the racket back to anticipate the ball), beats well, albeit with little variety. To review the game at the net, but we are talking about an 18 year old and the margins are potentially devastating. What is most frightening is his mental approach to competitions, typical of a seasoned tennis player. His most emblematic success of 2019, at Next Gen ATP Finals, becoming the youngest ever to triumph. Without fanfare, he is probably the Italian tennis player who will make us jump from the chair the most. He can easily aim for the Grand Slam victory, not immediately, unlike, perhaps, Berrettini.
The rest?
In the norm. sonego he is a good player, but to date nothing more. AND Sniper, after a year with great fanfare, it is back to its standards. musetti, winner AOUnder18 2019, on the other hand, he has excellent foundations and by working hard he could establish himself in the major circuit in the future. In short, the movement is, in general, healthy and, after years in which to pull the cart was the reckless Fognini, seems to have given us not indifferent prospects. Now, we just have to wait.
