Matteo Berrettini Throws Racket in Frustration at Cincinnati Open Practice

Matteo Berrettini throws racket into stands during a heated practice session at the Cincinnati Open, but quickly picks it up and continues training. The Italian tennis star is unseeded in the tournament and will face a tough opponent in the first round.

What happened?

During a training session before the Cincinnati Open, Matteo Berrettini lost his temper over a practice shot, hurling his racket into the empty stands. The clip posted on Instagram will resonate with anyone who has been through the intense heat and humidity of August in Ohio.

Why it matters for Matteo Berrettini

The stakes are high in Cincinnati for the 30-year-old Italian. He enters the tournament unseeded at world No. 41, after dropping his last outing in three sets to Argentine Mariano Navone in the first round of the National Bank Open. Berrettini has had good runs at the French Open and Wimbledon, but his focus is now on the final major of the season.

What comes next?

The Cincinnati Open takes place from August 13-23 in Mason, Ohio, as the final Masters 1000 warmup before the US Open later this month. Berrettini will face another unseeded player, a qualifier, or a wildcard in the first round on either August 13 or 14.

Berrettini's brief and frustrating session is a necessary component of staying pain-free and sharp for a Grand Slam. The Italian has spoken about the toll that his style of play takes on his body, and moments of frustration that he showed at the practice court are nothing new to a player who has been known to wear his emotions on his sleeve.

The Italian is by no means the only one who has lost his cool on the practice courts in Cincinnati. In 2023, Daniil Medvedev also threw his racket on the backboard in a heated practice session with Holger Rune, which sparked a flurry of comments online. In that context, Berrettini's actions seem less like a strange outlier and more like a reaction to the challenging conditions all players undergo during their preparation for the tournament.

So far, the video isn't likely to be seen as anything more than a moment of frustration in crushing conditions, which every player on tour has experienced at some point during a long, grinding summer swing.

Key Takeaways:

• Matteo Berrettini threw his racket into the stands during a practice session at the Cincinnati Open.
• The Italian tennis star is unseeded in the tournament and will face a tough opponent in the first round.
• Berrettini has had good runs at the French Open and Wimbledon, but his focus is now on the final major of the season.

Cincinnati Open Practice Stats: