Berrettini wins first title in two years

Matteo Berrettini claimed his first ATP Tour title after a two-year drought, after winning the singles title at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech on Sunday. Overcoming a first-set deficit, the Italian defeated Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena with a score of 7-5, 6-2. 

Sunday’s win marks Berrettini’s eighth ATP singles title and his first since triumphing on the grass at the Queen’s Club in 2022, making it a quite significant endeavor for the injury-plagued 27-year-old. Battling back from a foot injury that sidelined him from the Australian Open in January, Berrettini made a remarkable comeback after a six-month hiatus since his ankle injury at the US Open. 

Competing in just his second tour-level tournament of 2024, Berrettini entered Marrakech on a protected ranking and justified it by defeating three seeded players, including fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego, en route to the title match.

His victory also denied Baena a consecutive title in Marrakech, with last year’s champion falling short against the determined Italian. Despite a closely contested first set that saw Berrettini trailing 3-1, he rallied to secure the crucial opener and maintained his momentum throughout the match.

Expressing gratitude during his victory speech, Berrettini thanked his team for their unwavering support during his challenging journey back to the winner’s circle.

He said: “I want to thank my team. It’s been a tough past couple of years, I would say, and thanks to them, I was able to overcome all the tough moments. My body wasn’t allowing me to play, so it’s thanks to them that I am here.

“All the people that made my comeback possible: all my friends, my family, people that were with me all the times when I was sad and injured, and I didn’t think I could make it … thank you very much.”

The victory now sees Berrettini, former world number six, move up to top world 100, where he is now ranked at 84, up from 135, for the first time since 2022. 

Leon Osamor