Before making his appearance at the Shanghai Masters, Matteo Berrettini shared a touching interaction with his young mascot. While waiting to enter the main stadium, the Italian tennis star engaged in a conversation with the child who was set to accompany him for the walk. Berrettini made an effort to communicate his age to the girl before gesturing to help her understand.

Berrettini and Holger Rune were forced to wait to play their anticipated second-round match due to the rain wreaking havoc on the schedule over the weekend. They were eventually scheduled to kick off Monday's night session on the roofed show court.

Berrettini's heartwarming gesture

Players are typically accompanied by a young child who acts as their mascot when entering the stadium. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist made a point to introduce himself to the girl who would be joining him.

“Hello, how are you? You good? Nice to meet you.”

“You’re seven?” he added before she nodded.

Berrettini used hand gestures to communicate that he was 28 years old. Commentator Barry Cowan observed how focused the girl was in her role, standing ready as Berrettini spoke to her. She appeared to be a good luck charm for the 44th-ranked player, who won the first set against the 12th seed Rune but ultimately lost the match in three sets.

Berrettini plagued with Injuries 

Berrettini has faced ongoing challenges with injuries in recent years. His 2023 season came to an abrupt halt after he exited the US Open in a wheelchair. He made a comeback in March, making it to the final of his first tournament back at the Phoenix Challenger.

Since then, his season has been a rollercoaster. Despite securing three tour-level titles, he experienced a setback in Tokyo last week, retiring from his second-round match.