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Day 5 Under the lights: Keeping fit and keeping cool

Rinderknech vs Berrettini - 3000x2000
©FFT
 - Alix Ramsay

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. This could describe Matteo Berrettini’s career in nine little words. He is a big bear of a man standing 6ft 5ins (1.96m) tall and weighing in at 209lbs (95kg) yet for all the muscle and the power, his body struggles to withstand the stresses and strains of professional tennis. Over the course of his career, he has spent as much time out injured as he has on court.

“When injuries are coming, you're always negative,” Berrettini said without any hint of self-pity. “But at the same time, I'm looking at myself in the mirror right now, and I'm so proud of my career and what I've achieved. People who have known me since I've been a kid know that I've been getting injured since I was 12, basically.

“It's kind of like part of who I am. I have a big serve, big forehand, I also have this issue. I also have a resilient mind, and I always work hard to come back and to just, like, to compete. I like to put myself in situations where most of the people would struggle a little bit. I'm just a little bit psycho, I think.”

Berrettini has not played here since his quarterfinal finish in 2021 and now with a ranking of No.105, he is not expecting miracles. Of more pressing concern to him is whether he will have to qualify for Wimbledon or not (he is currently four places away from a main draw place). The faster surfaces suit him better than the slow, red dirt. That said, he is just glad to be back and playing in Paris.

Taking on a Frenchman and the French crowd is all part of the experience and in Arthur Rinderknech he faces a man who is happiest on a hard court – and in cooler temperatures. The heat of the first few days has been tough for Arthur. Still, he knows all about Berrettini: they played once before at the US Open in 2023 and the Italian withdrew with yet another injury in the second set. But Rinderknech knows to ignore the injuries and focus on the talent.

“He has experience,” the Frenchman said. “He's played thousands of matches on the tour. He knows how to sing this song. It's going to be a very complicated match, because when he plays many matches in a row, he's really good.

“Of course he's had some injuries. I hope it's not going to be a case for him any longer, but it's not going to be an easy match to win, that's for sure. I'll have to be good with a high level of performance and a good crowd, just like today.”

Provided Berrettini can stay fit and Rinderknech can stay cool, it should be a great watch.