Matteo Berrettini ready to spill ‘blood’ at Wimbledon as partner denies theory

Matteo Berrettini faces Carlos Alcaraz on Monday (Image: Getty) Matteo Berrettini claimed he would have ‘signed with my blood’ to return to form and fitness at ‘special’ Wimbledon as he set up a glamour clash with Carlos Alcaraz on Monday. The charismatic Italian, who reached the 2021 final, was forced to miss the tournament at the last minute last year with Covid after retaining his Queen’s Club title. And his new model girlfriend had to deny she was not the cause of his abdominal strain which ruled him out of the claycourt season. The world No.38 was not even sure if he could play Wimbledon after losing his only grass-court warm-up match in Stuttgart. But Alex Zverev claimed that the Italian could win his first Grand Slam here after the brilliant Berrettini beat the Olympic champion in the third round. And the Roman said: ‘Honestly, I think it’s incredible to get to the second week. I didn’t think it could happen. There is clearly something in the air about this place, something special. This is the tournament that changed my career and it’s really special for me to play well here again. It feels unbelievable ‘If they told me a few weeks ago you’re going to play five days in a row in Wimbledon, I would have signed with my blood. I spent many days in my bed crying about not being able to play so five days in a row, it’s nothing. I missed competing and playing too much. Matteo Berrettini has been dating Melissa Satta since January (Image: Getty) “I wasn’t sure even if I was going to play here. I flew here and I said maybe the atmosphere is going to help me a little bit. I feel a kind of energy I don’t feel anywhere else.’ With the retirements of Roger Federer and Serena Williams and with Rafa Nadal, Emma Raducanu and Nick Kyrgious all out injured, Berrettini brings an X Factor and sex appeal lacking at this Wimbledon. The Netflix producers knew it when they followed him – and his relationship with his now ex-girlfriend Ajla Tomljanovic – extensively in the first series. ‘I don’t regret Netflix ,’ he said. ‘I have always said sincere things. I am not a robot.’ Since January he has been dating Melissa Satta, an Italian swimwear model and TV presenter who is maybe the more famous in their homeland.