"I hadn't even dreamed of it, it was something too big, but now it's happening, I want to do my best."
So Matteo Berrettini after the news of the mathematical qualification for his second ATP Finals (in 2019 he qualified in London)
. The certainty of being able to access the Olympic Stadium in Turin from 14 to 21 November came after the 7-6, 6-3 debut in the ATP 500 in Vienna and the simultaneous defeat in the first round of the Polish Hubert Hurkacz, beaten by Andy Murray.
"2020 has been a difficult year for me, on and off the pitch. I'm about to play my second Finals here and I can't believe it. I always have to remember where I started from," explained the 25-year-old from Rome.
"When in 2019 they told me that the Finals would be in Turin, I remember that the mayor of the city said to me: 'See you in Turin'. And I: 'Yes, fine.' Then I qualified for London and now I am I'm qualifying for Turin. I just can't describe how happy I am. I hope the country is proud of me. "
Berrettini joins the Russian Andrey Rublev, the world number 1 Novak Djokovic, the US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and the German Alexander Zverev.
Two places remain up for grabs for the Finals: they will be awarded in the last three weeks of the ATP tour season.
Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner and Cameron Norrie contend for them.
