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Matteo Berrettini has poured fuel on an Italian tennis fire.
During a post-match interview with the ATP 500 Erste Bank Open in Vienna on Monday, the 30-year-old was asked if fellow Italian and “friend” Lorenzo Musetti’s recent Lyon Open title in France serves as “inspiration.”
Berrettini didn’t answer immediately but came out with, “Is it live?” before giving seemingly a restrained response.
Through several pauses and awkward laughs, he said, “It’s okay….I know he worked really hard to come back and I guess he deserved it.”
Berrettini then walked away from the camera.
The awkward response fueled rumors that Musetti, who won his first title since 2022, allegedly hooked up with Berrettini’s ex-girlfriend, Italian dancer Vanessa Bellini.
The two broke up this summer after nearly a year of dating.
As of Wednesday, it seems the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up has unfollowed Musetti on Instagram while the 24-year-old Italian still follows his compatriot. Musetti and his girlfriend, Veronica Confalonieri, still follow each other.
The couple has been together since 2022 and share two sons together, two-year-old Ludovico and near one-year-old Leandro, who was born in November 2025.
Musetti recently posted various photos of the couple while in Tokyo earlier this month.
Both Berrettini and Musetti were members of the 2024 Davis Cup-winning team together. In 2025, Musetti didn’t make himself available for the selection while Berrettini went on to win another tournament title.
This year, Berrettini was not selected for Italy’s Davis Cup squad. Captain Filippo Volandri selected Flavio Cobolli, Luciano Darderi, Andrea Vavassouri, Simone Bolelli and Musetti.
Some have speculated if Berrettini’s snub had to do with the seemingly strained relationship. Volandri cited his selections were based on current rankings.
“The next few weeks leading up to our new Davis Cup adventure will be crucial for me,” he told Italian media per Tennis 365. “My entire staff and I will work to assess each player’s condition to determine their availability, so we can field the best possible lineup.
“We know we have a very strong team, thanks to a wide roster of players, including Matteo Berrettini, Matteo Arnaldi, and Lorenzo Sonego, key players in past seasons.”
Berrettini sits at No. 48 in the rankings while Musetti is No. 26.
The two could meet as early as the semifinals in the Vienna Open in the coming days.
Berrettini has moved on to the Round of 16 and will face Cobolli on Thursday while Musetti is next taking on Arthur Fery after upsetting American Francis Tiafoe on Wednesday afternoon.
