Rafael Nadal has been in this position before. Eight times at the US Open, in fact. And 39 times overall at majors. Grand Slam semifinals are nothing new to the Spaniard.
For Matteo Berrettini, who has burst onto the tennis scene this year, it’s a brave new world. The 23-year-old Italian has enjoyed a steady rise up the rankings, from outside the Top 100 last year to cracking the Top 20 in June.
But this is the Italian's first time venturing past the fourth round in a major.
His reward? No. 2-seeded Spaniard Nadal, who has won the US Open title three times and trails only Roger Federer in Grand Slams, with 18.
Berrettini and Nadal have never played each other, yet there is little question who ought to be more at home at this stage: Nadal won the US Open in 2010, 2013 and 2017; and finished the runner-up in 2011. In Berrettini's only other appearance in Flushing Meadows, last year, he lost in the first round.
Yet this is no mismatch.
Nadal graduates from facing one of the smallest players on tour, Diego Schwartzman, to one of the biggest. Although the 6-foot-5 Berrettini isn't one of the tallest players on tour, he's a big-hitting bruiser who looks as though he could easily play fullback or lineback. The Roman’s physique looks primed to inflict punishment.
Berrettini survived a punishing quarterfinal on Wednesday afternoon to get here. The 24th-seeded Italian outlasted Gael Monfils in a brutally physical and magnificently entertaining, five-set instant classic. The heroic slugfest thrilled the Ashe crowd, which roared as though it were a late-night brawl. The imposing Berrettini left the Frenchman punch drunk, bent over at the waist like a boxer hanging onto the ropes late in the 15th round.
Berretini is surging with confidence, but an exhausting, four-hour effort may not be the ideal preparation to face Nadal, perhaps the most ruthless competitor the game has known.
"I think he's the greatest fighter ever in this sport," said Berretini of Nadal.
"I think he's the greatest fighter ever in this sport," said Berretini of Nadal. "It's unbelievable [what] he's doing. I admire him, like, the way he's on the court. I think [his attitude is] close to the perfection."
"A lion in the jungle," Schwartzman, Nadal's victim for the eighth straight time, called the Spaniard.
Indeed, Nadal is on the prowl, looking to capture his 19th major championship. The Spaniard is the only one of the Big Three remaining, with Djokovic and Federer departed before the quarters, and Nadal is the only man left who knows what it’s like to battle for a Slam.
On paper, at least, Berrettini fits the profile of the tall, powerful player who historically has been able to inflict damage on Nadal. In size and weapons, he is in the mold of strapping, go-for-broke sorts like Robin Soderling and Karen Khachanov.
Berrettini has their kind of power. A massive serve that he routinely cranks in the mid-130s. A huge, dictating forehand that is his principal weapon. It's a multidimensional shot: Berrettini doesn't only bludgeon it—he sometimes hits it with wicked spin and torque and goes for extreme crosscourt angles. He strikes the ball with tremendous racquet-head speed. (In fact, Berrettini has been hitting his forehand both harder than Nadal and with more topspin, something considered by most tennis observers to be physically impossible.)
The Italian's slice backhand may be his most underrated shot, a secret weapon. Berrettini uses it strategically to neutralize his opponents, who find it difficult to attack.
Berrettini will have to be patient, probing Nadal and looking for the opportunity to strike with his kill shot off the forehand wing.
For his part, Nadal will seek to neutralize Berrettini by going heavy and deep to his backhand and looking to open up the court. The Spaniard will use his wheels to stay in and prolong rallies, blunting Berrettini's power.
Assessing Berrettini, Nadal said, "Young with very good potential. He's in semifinals of a Grand Slam, so he's playing great."
If Berrettini serves well and holds comfortably, and can get Nadal on his heels, he has a shot.
Yet before Berrettini even takes the court and has a chance to measure the challenges that Nadal's game and intimidating presence pose, the Italian faces two major issues.
The first is the pressure of playing a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time. The second is bouncing back with one day's rest from one of the most grueling matches of the tournament, fought in oppressive humidity.
Nadal, famously humble, takes no opponent for granted. Assessing Berrettini, Nadal said, "Young with very good potential. He's in semifinals of a Grand Slam, so he's playing great."
The Italian "looks relaxed, looks he's ready for fight for important things."
Nadal and Berrettini have never met on court, but the Italian is well aware of what to expect. "I know Rafa really well. I mean, I saw, like, a hundred of his matches. Who in this tour doesn't know Rafa?"
Come Friday evening, Berrettini will discover something different: what it's like to face Nadal in a Grand Slam semifinal, with yet another championship on the horizon.
