Matteo Berrettini is fired up and swinging big again. The Italian arrived in Monte Carlo fresh off a solid Miami Open run, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing in a tight battle to former champion Taylor Fritz. But on Tuesday, he did something even bigger. Berrettini secured one of the biggest wins of his career, taking down World No. 2 Alexander Zverev in an absolute thriller: 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. The Court Rainier III crowd roared through every point. The match had everything—power, grit, nerves, and that Berrettini serve. And what made it even more special? A familiar face from the world of Formula 1 was watching it all unfold from the stands.

Monaco, a magnet for elite athletes, often sees worlds collide during the Masters tournament. Last year, the likes of George Russell, Lando Norris, and Carlos Sainz were seen soaking in the atmosphere. This year, 19-year-old Haas F1 rookie Ollie Bearman was in the house—and he picked the perfect match to witness. The young Briton witnessed Berrettini’s Herculean effort firsthand and shared a fascinating exchange with the tennis star afterward.

In an Instagram video posted by the Monte Carlo Masters, the two can be seen catching up. Berrettini didn’t hold back about how he felt post-match. “I’m tired,” he said with a smile. The conversation quickly turned to Bearman’s past. “I lived for two years in Bologna because of Ferrari is in Maranello. That helped me to learn Italian,” the young man said. “Now I have stopped working with Ferrari so I lost a bit of the language.”

Then came the banter. Berrettini laughed and said, “Someday you have to bring me in a track and teach me a little bit.” Bearman was quick to return the challenge. “Then I can go on the court and return one of your serves.” The Italian grinned and asked, “Do you play tennis sometimes?” to which Bearman responded, “I play a bit of padel.” Berrettini’s reaction? Classic. He clutched his chest and said, “Ah, my heart.”

The two continued talking like old friends, swapping notes on adrenaline and fatigue. When Bearman asked him how he was feeling, Berrettini replied, “You know you still have the adrenaline. I think it’s like you guys. Right after you feel like you’re fine, and in ten minutes, my legs are gonna feel really heavy. After that rally!” Bearman then asked him about his heart rate during the final moments. Berrettini didn’t hesitate. “I think I was 200. But 4/5 shots before the last one, I felt my legs were so heavy. I was like ‘argh’ but I cannot give up you know. You have to push through.”

The Italian added, “Also mentally, when your opponent is like this, it’s mental as well. You have to show that I was destroyed, but when he looks at me, I’m like I am fine, you know.”

They posed for a picture, wished each other good luck, and parted ways. A proper crossover moment—tennis met Formula 1, and it just clicked. Bearman is no stranger to tennis. He attended the ATP Finals in Turin last year and even managed a selfie with champion Jannik Sinner. And Berrettini? He’s a known F1 fan as well. In 2024, he was seen at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, hanging out with Carlos Alcaraz.

Coming back to his win against Zverev in Monte Carlo, well this win means a lot to the 28-year-old. Redemption arcs don’t come much sweeter than this.

Matteo Berrettini reflects on his injury-stricken time

In 2023, at the same tournament in Monte Carlo, Berrettini’s momentum was halted by injury. He had reached the third round after wins over Maxime Cressy and Francisco Cerúndolo and was set to face Holger Rune. But he had to withdraw, handing Rune a walkover and beginning a long, frustrating spell away from the game.

“I have this memory of [two] years ago when I got injured here, and the next day I was in bed, because I couldn’t move,” the Italian said. “They were playing on centre court, and I could hear them, like, from my apartment. It was a tough day.” Berrettini further reflected on how that pain helped fuel his performance now. “So it was like, now I’m going to enjoy, now I’m going to make them scream for me, and that’s why I also found that kind of energy in the third,” he added.

After that injury, it was a long road back for Berrettini. The former Wimbledon runner-up struggled with various setbacks and finished 2023 ranked World No. 92. At the start of 2024, he was outside the top 150. But slowly and surely, he’s climbed back up, now ranked World No. 34.

Looking ahead, Matteo Berrettini will face the winner of the match between Jiri Lehecka and 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the next round. An Italian derby could be on the cards. Can Berrettini keep the momentum going and make a deep run in Monte Carlo?