Matteo Berrettini has been left bemused by the suggestion that his relationships are hurting his tennis career.

Among those who have questioned Berretini’s focus is 89-year-old Italian tennis legend Nicola Pietrangeli.

Pietrangeli didn’t have a lot of praise for any of the current crop of Italian players, but he really unloaded on the 2021 Wimbledon finalist.

Berrettini feels that the criticism crosses the line and effectively said that his private life is his own business and speculation about his sex life was out of order.

“I’m having a romantic relationship like all the other kids my age. Normal, and here too I’m sorry that such a positive thing, which is a feeling after all, is turned around as a professional distraction. Beyond the haters, I’m sorry for those who know about tennis: they are not constructive criticisms and I don’t understand the reasons,” Berrettini said in an interview with La Repubblica.

“The more exposed you become – not even famous – and you become the target of attacks, especially if things don’t go as you would like, or as people would like. Personally I have no doubts about what I’m doing. I don’t feel I’ve taken a different path from tennis. I’m the same guy as always,” he added.

Pietrangeli took some shots at Berrettini after tabloid reporters spotted him with controversial Italian tv presenter Melissa Satta after his elimination from the Australian Open.

“It seems to me that Matteo is devoting himself more to advertising than to tennis. I wouldn’t like him to end up like Volandri, who after beating Federer in Rome, didn’t do anything again. He’s a good guy, he reminds me a bit of Pannatta. Very handsome from the waist up, but his legs don’t move as they should,” said the former Roland Garros champion In a conversation with the Gazzetta dello Sport.

Berrettini wasn’t the only one bothering the aging tennis champion as he went on to slam tennis in general.

“The world has changed and tennis too, and it has done it for the worse. It’s an uglier sport. Before, if you were talented, you had to work physically; now if you’re not a great athlete, you can’t even consider getting on a court.”

Berrettini is set to take part in the Arizona Tennis Classic – a Challenger tour event in Phoenix, Arizona this week after he bowed out of the Indian Wells Open early.

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