Berrettini leans on his team at Gstaad

Matteo Berrettini has returned to one of his favourite ATP summer venues but is relying on his team instead of his family as he plays the Gstaad Open.

The Alpine 250-level event bats above its weight on the calendar, sitting at 1,050 meters above sea level in a picturesque car-free village. Berrettini won his first ATP title here in 2018 and returned in 2022 to reach the title match against Casper Ruud.

“Two years ago, I was here with my whole family,” sixth-seeded Berrettini said as he prepared for his first-round match with Argentine holder Pedro Cachin.

“This year, I’m with my team, which is like a family to a tennis player. It’s important to have people around you whom you trust, who love you and whom you enjoy working with.”

The Italian said he and the boys have been enjoying their time in the tranquil Alpine environment.

“I’m from Rome and we don’t have these kind of views out the window.”

The 82nd-ranked Roman who once stood sixth in the world, is working to rebuild his game after two seasons of injury setbacks.

He reached the grass final in Stuttgart last month but exited in the Wimbledon second round to countryman and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

“I’m feeling good and I didn’t have a bad grass season considering it was a comeback,” the 28-year-old said.

“Wimbledon was tough against Jannik, he was playing so good. But I got confidence from my performances.

“I have a lot of hope for the clay,” said the Paris Olympic absentee. “This place (Gstaad) brings back good memories.”