“Not the most correct decision” – Headed out of the top 20, in-form Berrettini criticizes ATP’s no-points stance on Wimbledon

With no chance to defend his runner-up finish at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Berrettini is not happy about no points being offered at Wimbledon

Matteo Berrettini, Queen’s 2022 © AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

June 16, 2022

Italy’s Matteo Berrettini has already missed three prime months of the tennis season due to his right hand surgery. That stretch included the three ATP Masters Series events on clay and the French Open, taking his ranking down to No 10.

Now the Italian is set to drop out of the top 20 after the ATP Tour’s decision to not allot any ranking points for the 2022 Wimbledon Championship. Berrettini reached his first Grand Slam singles final at the All England Club 12 months ago, losing to Novak Djokovic. But the Italian will not have a chance to defend the 1,2000 points he earned for his efforts there as a fall out of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent decision by the Lawn Tennis Association to ban Russian & Belarusian players.

No one has called us, or asked for our opinion, and I think it shouldn’t work that way: Berrettini

Berrettini, who won the Stuttgart title on Sunday and is through to the second round in Queen’s this week, said that while he understands that this is a complicated situation for all sides, he wishes the ATP had discussed the issue with the players before making their decision on no points being offered at Wimbledon in 2022.

“I understand that it is a difficult and complicated situation for everyone, first of all for people who are suffering from the war, but I would have preferred that this ATP decision had been taken differently, perhaps asking the players. No one has called us, or asked for our opinion, and I think it shouldn’t work that way. Maybe it could have been avoided in some way since this is the biggest decision made by the ATP in 20 years, that I know of,” Berrettini said, according to Italian website Sportal.

“My opinion is that exclusion is not easy to digest for Russian and Belarusian players, but at the same time also for other players, not only those who will lose points but also those who will not gain them. In my opinion, it was not the most correct decision,” he continued.

Berretini revealed that there is no likely change or reverse of the ATP Tour’s decision and that he finds it hard to come to terms with the fact that he will drop out of the top 20 even if he wins Wimbledon this year.

“I have spoken to the ATP, the various managers and the players, and it seems that the decision is now made. There will be no changes. I have to accept that. It’s also hard to play because you have this thought in mind: I know that no matter how well I play I’ll probably come out of the top 20. It will be more difficult but you have to compete,” the Italian said.