Italy’s Matteo Berrettini recently secured his position in the ATP Top 30 rankings after defeating France’s Gael Monfils.
The Italian player secured a stunning win in the first round of the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with scores of 7-5 and 6-4. The match lasted 83 minutes, during which fans saw Berrettini’s powerful serves and subtle strategic skills.
The match’s highlight moments were Berrettini’s seven aces and staggering 78% success rate on his first serve. The Italian player’s diverse gameplay and in-game tactics disturbed Monfils’ rhythm. Berrettini’s victory shows an upward graph for the player after his key victory against Novak Djokovic at the Qatar Open earlier this month.
After resecuring his place in the Top 30, the Italian expressed his gratitude, he said, “It means a lot. Last year, this time, I wasn’t even playing. I was training with a lot of question marks. Our sport goes so fast. Sometimes we take it for granted. But I’m trying to not do that.” Berrettini credited his win to his fans, teams, and loved ones, “I’m proud of the work I’ve put in with my team, with the people who love me.”
Monfils returned to the match after taking a break and demonstrated admirable determination and brilliance in the match as his in-game fitness and energetic play made the match more exciting. However, ultimately, Monfils could not resist the relentless pressure from Matteo Berrettini.
Berrettini is now set to face the Australian qualifier Christopher O’Connell. The Australian player advanced to the second round after his opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, faced an injury in the opening match. With that being said, it seems like the Italian player is focused on his further matches. He said, “I also wanna do a little bit more. Let’s see how it goes.”
The Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships remain exciting, with top-seeded players moving to the next rounds. The series of matches sees great expectations for future rounds as Berrettini’s comeback creates an interesting twist in the tournament.
Individuals who want an overview of what happened can view highlights of the match between Berrettini and Monfils, highlighting the climactic moments and strategies that characterized the first-round match.
