As a kid in Correggio, Italy, sophomore Matteo Fortini did what most boys his age were doing in terms of sports… he started playing football (soccer) and took a look at basketball. His older sister Veronica was playing in Italian Tennis Federation tournaments and he was going along with mom and dad (Germano and Milena Fortini) to watch, and he liked what he saw.

"When I was a kid, I was shy and I liked tennis because it was a sport where you are alone," the transfer from University of Modena and Reggio University (Unimore—which is near Correggio) said thinking back on why he chose tennis. There were other reasons, of course.