Berrettini’s Serving Feat Second Only To Federer

It has occurred only 21 times in the past 20 years, and Matteo Berrettini has now struck twice. Winning an ATP Tour title while not dropping serve is one of the toughest tasks to accomplish, but the 22-year-old Italian won the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart last week doing just that.

He held serve 50 straight times to take the title and improve to a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 22 this week. The only two break points Berrettini faced at the MercedesCup were in the same game, serving at 1-2 in the opening set of the semi-final against Jan-Lennard Struff.

Stuttgart Semi-Final: Berrettini Break Points Saved vs. Struff
1-2, 30/40: Second serve / Berrettini hit a slice backhand down the line that forced a Struff forehand error (seven-shot rally).
1-2, Ad Out: Second serve / Struff committed a backhand return error long (one-shot rally).

Berrettini also won the ATP 250 event in Gstaad last year on clay without dropping serve. The Italian held 49 straight times while saving nine break points along the way.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of this rare feat reveals that just 13 players have combined to win 21 tournaments without dropping serve since 1999, which is when break points for all rounds of a tournament were officially recorded.

Unbroken To Win The Title (in order of most recent)
Matteo Berrettini (twice)
Novak Djokovic
Alexander Zverev
John Isner
Nick Kyrgios
Roger Federer (four times)
Ivo Karlovic (twice)
Milos Raonic (twice)
Andy Roddick (twice)
Mark Philippoussis
Ivan Ljubicic (twice)
Jonas Bjorkman
Kenneth Carlsen

John Isner is the only player since 1999 to win an ATP Tour title without facing a break point, which he accomplished at the ATP 250 event in Newport in 2017. He fired 65 aces along the way.

Ivan Ljubicic impressively won back-to-back titles in Vienna in 2005 and 2006 without dropping serve either year. He saved 17 break points in 2005 and five in 2006. Roger Federer, who is now coached by Ljubicic, has won the most ATP events since 1999 without dropping serve, with four titles.

Federer: ATP Titles Won Without Dropping Serve
2015 Cincinnati
2012 Cincinnati
2008 Halle
2005 Doha

Berrettini has now risen up to the 10th spot in the Infosys ATP Stats Serve LEADERBOARD, with a 285.4 rating in the past 52 weeks. An Italian player has never tasted ultimate glory on the grass courts at Wimbledon. Berrettini is ticking all the right boxes to be a legitimate dark horse this year.

See Who Berrettini Is Chasing On The Infosys ATP Stats Serve LEADERBOARD

1999-2019: Players Winning An ATP Title Without Dropping Serve