Home

Tennis

“It’s Not Mandatory” – Matteo Berrettini Opposes Novak Djokovic’s Player Relief Fund.

Published 05/09/2020, 2:43 PM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

Novak Djokovic led ATP Player Council and other tennis bodies have successfully raised $6 million for the lower-ranked tennis players. The professionals ranked inside the top-100 rankings contributed to the Player Relief Fund. But, a few of the players don’t really support the idea, which includes the likes of Dominic Thiem and Guido Pella. And now Matteo Berrettini is opposing the scheme as well.

Italian tennis player Berrettini appreciates the initiative and believes it is a sign of caring for their fellow colleagues. However, he feels more than tennis players, hospitals, and victims of the virus need the money more. As the vulnerable groups of society are really in need of some kind of financial help.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

“We wrote to Novak, it’s not mandatory: I prefer to help more complex situations, such as a hospital, a family in need, rather than a tennis player. There are many players who need help and go red. The plan is a very positive thing for tennis and shows that players also care about their colleagues from the rear,” he said.

Earlier Austrian tennis player Thiem stated there are some professionals whom he doesn’t want to support on the tour. He believes donating the money to the healthcare society is a wiser move than giving to the player’s fund.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Matteo Berrettini suffering from an injury

After a long wait, finally, some live tennis action has started in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. It’s the UTR Pro Match Series. Berrettini was scheduled to play there but due to his ankle injury, the Italian had to withdraw.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest Tennis stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

“We were lucky because the situation is less serious here in Florida than in New York, and we were also able to train. The injury is nothing serious, sorry but this is also the best time to have a problem,” he added.

World Number eight Matteo Berrettini gave a career-best performance in 2019, reaching the semifinals of US Open and later made his debut at ATP Finals. Also, during the grass season, he was on an eight-match winning streak before entering Wimbledon. At SW19, he lost to the eight-time champion Roger Federer in the fourth round. 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Mahalakshmi Murali

1,909Articles

One take at a time

Mahalakshmi Murali joined EssentiallySports in 2018 as a tennis author and has gone on to pen more than 1800 engaging articles, probing into various aspects of the sport and its illustrious players. With her expertise on the sport, Mahalakshmi has interviewed stalwarts from the sport such as Serena WIlliams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou and Kevin Anderson’s physio, Carlos Costa. Equipped with her vast experience and a keen understanding of the sport, Mahalakshmi now co-heads the tennis department.
Show More>