Italian tennis player Matteo Berrettini, present in the stands during the final of the Miami Premier Padel P1, took the opportunity to reaffirm his attachment to the paddleBetween confidences, humor and friendly exchanges with his father Luca, the former Wimbledon finalist shared his growing passion for this sport, while slipping in a nod to Federico Chingotto, his favorite player.

Recent podcast guest Tintoria, hosted by Italian comedians Daniele Tinti and Stefano Rapone, Berrettini joked about his relationship with padel: “My father converted to padel, he is the Italian champion +60, he is so proud of it… while I am in mourning,” he said with a hearty laugh, affectionately teasing his father Luca.

Present together in Miami, Matteo and his father continued this verbal joust in a humorous tone. “We often play together, but never as a team, because he plays on the left… just like me. Can you imagine? He always wants to play diagonally against me, it’s crazy! He doesn’t move, he just stands there…”, Matteo recounts, laughing. A dig quickly returned by Luca: “Oh really, I don’t move? However, I have another memory of the match, and a rather clear one…”

But beyond the jokes, Berrettini expresses a genuine interest in padel. “It's a very different sport from tennis. Firstly, because it's played by two players, so you need a real understanding. And then there are the windows, it's not easy to manage. Sometimes I don't even know what to do with them,” he admits with a smile. Observing Chingotto et Gallant warming up nearby, he says: “These two could surely teach me a thing or two.”

The Italian player also confides that he plays padel with others tennis playersas an Filippo Volandri, Jacopo Berrettini (his brother) or even Andrea Pellegrino“Between training and competitions, it’s not always easy to find time, but whenever I can, I love to play,” he adds.

Matteo also highlights the side friendly and social Padel: “It’s a sport that brings people together, it’s important to say that. We share a moment, while doing sport.”

During their visit to the stars of the day, Berrettini exchanged a few words with the finalists, notably Chingotto, who provokes him with a laugh: “So, when are you going to play padel?” An invitation to which Matteo replies mischievously: “If I had to choose a partner here in Miami? Since I play on the left, it would be Fede Chingotto, without hesitation.”

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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