Matteo Berrettini of Italy returns the ball during his second-round men’s singles match against Arthur Fels of France at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo)
After completing the serve-and-volley sequence with a winner on his third match point, Matteo Berrettini turned to the penalty area and nodded. He knew he was on his way.Berrettini, who dropped out of the top 100 last May, lit up the center court, toppling the talented Frenchman Arthur Fels, seeded twentieth, 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, and qualifying for the third round at Wimbledon.The 30-year-old Italian, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2021, has fought a long battle against his body. Against Fels, he hit 16 aces and found his best form when it mattered most.“I played a very high-level game. Arthur was good too,” Berrettini said. “I had a little break in the match in the third set, and then I started serving better in the fourth set. I have a lot of confidence now. It’s been a long time since I played so many Grand Slam matches, in Paris and here as well.
“Obviously I’ve had difficult moments in my career, but I’m happy, I’m smiling, I’m back.”Earlier, French Open champion Alexander Zverev defeated Valentin Royer 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (3) in two hours and four minutes on Court No. 1.Defending champion Iga Swiatek looked every bit the player who lifted the title last year, if her opening-round test against Taylor Townsend was postponed, as she cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 second-round win over 2021 finalist Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic.
