Matteo Berrettini seals spot in 2021 ATP Finals

The 25-year-old secured his return to the year-end championships for the first time since 2019 when he reached the Erste Bank Open second round on Monday. This year marks the first edition of the ATP Finals in Turin, following a 12-year stint in London.

London:Italy's Matteo Berrettini will make his second ATP Finals appearance after becoming the sixth singles player to qualify for the 2021 season finale, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from November 14-21.

The 25-year-old secured his return to the year-end championships for the first time since 2019 when he reached the Erste Bank Open second round on Monday. This year marks the first edition of the ATP Finals in Turin, following a 12-year stint in London.

"My words aren't going to describe the happiness I feel in my heart," said Berrettini in a release by ATP. "2020 was a tough year for me on and off the court. Here I am about to play my second [Nitto ATP] Finals and I can't believe it. I always have to remember where I started. I didn't dream about this, because it was so big, but now it's happening. I want to do my best," he added.

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Berrettini has notched a 40-10 record this season, including a run to his first major final at Wimbledon (l. to Djokovic). He went on to climb to a career-best Number 7 in the ATP Rankings -- making him the highest-ranked Italian since Corrado Barazzutti in 1978.

The Italian also lifted the Serbia Open trophy in Belgrade (d. Karatsev) in April, reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Zverev) in May and clinched the cinch Championships crown in London (d. Norrie) in June.

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Berrettini joins Russian Andrey Rublev and four former Nitto ATP Finals champions in the Turin field: World Number 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, US Open champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev of Germany. Two singles places remain up for grabs in the final three weeks of the regular ATP Tour season.

ANI