Novak Djokovic and Matteo Berrettini will revive their rivalry at the ATP 500 event in Doha. The Serb and the Italian will battle in the first round on Monday or Tuesday, and tennis fans are expecting a cracking duel.
Novak and Matteo shared the court four times between 2019 and 2021, with the Serb scoring all four wins. Their most recent encounter came at the 2021 US Open, and much has changed since then.
Djokovic became the greatest player of all time, while Berrettini struggled with injuries and setbacks. Three and a half years after their previous meeting, two explosive players are ready for more fireworks at a strong ATP 500 tournament.
Matteo Berrettini 🇮🇹 si allena a Doha in vista del suo match d’esordio contro Novak Djokovic 🇷🇸🔥 pic.twitter.com/QulbroAKy0
— Giovanni Pelazzo (@giovannipelazzo) February 16, 2025
Novak will enter his third tournament of the season. The legend lost to Reilly Opelka in Brisbane in the first week of 2025 ahead of his 20th Australian Open campaign. Djokovic reached the quarter-final and arranged the clash against world no. 3 Carlos Alcaraz.
Matteo Berrettini, Vienna 2024© Facebook – Erste Bank Open
The veteran injured his left leg in the opening set. He received a medical timeout and gave everything to endure the battle. The medication helped, and the Serb prevailed in four sets. However, he could not repeat that three days later against Alexander Zverev.
Novak lost the opening set and retired after feeling increased pain in his troubled leg. Djokovic missed the Davis Cup and worked on his recovery. The 37-year-old healed the injury and traveled to Doha for the first time since 2019.
Novak Djokovic, Australian Open 2025© Stream screenshot
Berrettini dropped out from the top-150 in March last year. He recovered and wrapped up the year in the top-35 following three ATP titles. Matteo has yet to find his A-game in 2025, losing three of four matches and hoping for a better run in Doha.
The Italian experienced tight losses in Brisbane, Melbourne and Rotterdam. He will have to play at his best to avoid another early exit in Doha, with the 24-time Major winner standing across the net. Matteo took a set away from Novak in their three Major duels, including the 2021 Wimbledon final.
However, the Serb brought those matches home, and it will be interesting to see the outcome of their upcoming duel.
Tennis World USA