Out last year, Brazilian Open returns to ATP tour

The biggest tennis sporting event in Latin America returned to Rio, after being cancelled in 2021 due to pandemic restrictions, bringing excitement and crowds hungry for sports action and a semblance of a return to normality after COVID shutdowns. Almost two years of the pandemic has changed the way tournaments are played and how players prepare for each game.

Matteo Berrettini, Ranked 6th in the Association of Tennis Professionals said "It's been tough, specially 2020, for me was really tough. The first hit, was the worst one for me, playing in a bubble, playing without crowd, also practising, sometimes I wasn't feeling it... I was practising but I wasn't feeling what I was going to do, when the tour is going to start. So it was tough, and then I got injured as you know. It wasn't easy but since they opened a little bit, I think I was better and better, I really missed the crowd, the atmosphere, the center court full of people, it's one of the reasons I'm playing tennis." 

The Rio Open 2022 started on Saturday with the qualifying stage, where 16 players fight for the last four spots in the main tournament. The main event will start on Monday.