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Like taking candy from… Berrettini? ATP Tour stars share their Halloween memories
Zverev, Paul, Tiafoe reveal the past as tricks
October 30, 2024
Kate Brinksman/ATP Tour
Matteo Berrettini and the ATP Tour's 'mysterious' monster were among those who revealed their Halloween stories.
Written by Andy West
Millions of children (and other parents!) around the world will be heading out 'trick or treating' on Thursday evening to celebrate Halloween. Hopefully they'll have more luck than Matteo Berrettini did when the ATP Tour star went out candy hunting as a kid in his hometown of Rome.
“I was staying [an area] where it was safe for children to go and trouble people,” the Italian recalled to ATPtour.com. “One funny story. We were carrying a bag full of candy and other things, and we cried at the door. The woman opened it, and we said, 'Trick or treat?' He didn't say anything, he just took something out of our bag and closed the door. I don't think he heard, it wasn't the one we gave him, but we were shocked.”
Berrettini remembers dressing up once as a ninja, and once as a vampire in his quest to get treats from his neighbors. For Italian ATP Tour contender Grigor Dimitrov, there was only one outfit at the forefront of his mind.
“I grew up in America. I think we were in California. I dressed as Batman, I've always loved Batman,” said the Bulgarian man. I remember it well, it was so much fun.”
Awesome SZN, so you just know we had to get involved… 👻 pic.twitter.com/JubO6PAmP5
– ATP Tour (@atptour) October 28, 2024
Alexander Zverev says that he never lacked the enthusiasm to wear a Halloween costume as a child in his hometown of Hamburg. No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings now has nothing to do with details, however.
“We celebrated Halloween. We went around the houses and we dressed up as candy, but I don't remember my favorite costume,” said Zverev. “I'm old now, it was 20 years ago. I really dressed up, put paint on my face and everything. I don't remember what it was.”
So which other ATP Tour stars have fond memories of the 'spooky season'? Not Flavio Cobolli or Alex de Minaur, it seems…
“I hate Halloween, because I'm scared. I don't feel scared, so I don't like Halloween,” said Cobolli, who says that although he is scared, he counts a ghost among his various tattoos. “Me [particularly] I don't like bones.”
De Minaur joked: “I had no childhood.” I was not realistic in childhood. I never celebrated Halloween as a child. In fact, probably my most enjoyable Halloween is leaving candy outside the house for real kids who are now trick or treating.”
At only 19 years old, Jakub Mensik doesn't have to look back to remember his childhood. If it's a Halloween costume memory he's after, though, he'll have to create it next time.
“In Czechia it's not that big of a culture, but it's a really good atmosphere,” said the #NextGenATP star. “[It signifies] winter is coming. It's really good to have horror stories. I have never worn it, but I will in the future maybe. ”
The 'home' of Halloween is undoubtedly the United States. Although Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe both used to go for the purpose of satisfying their sweet tooth, trick or treating was not the only aspect of their typical American Halloween.
“We used to do a lot of planning and take advantage of houses that left candy in front of the door,” said Paul. “I remember the first time we went without our parents, it was fun. It was often found out later, and maybe you did something you shouldn't have done, but nothing really wrong.
“I was Spider-Man a few times. I visited a college on my college recruiting trip in North Carolina and it was Halloween. I think I dressed up as a football player or something, but that was one of the better Halloweens for me. ”
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Photo Credit: Kate Brinksman/ATP Tour
Tiafoe recalls: “Halloween was crazy. I used to go to some of my boyfriend's houses dressed like crazy. I dressed like a tennis player a lot. I dressed like guys I looked up to, NBA guys or something like that. I was scared a few times of kids with chainsaws and stuff, joking, coming out of nowhere or out of the woods.
“In our community, it was fun to do that kind of thing. I had a terrible sweet tooth, so I would run around trick-or-treating for hours. That was like the best day for me. I can't do that anymore, I do this tennis thing, but I miss that.”
Tiafoe may no longer be able to dodge chainsaws now that he's on the ATP Tour, but that doesn't mean the world's top tennis stars don't suffer from a strange fear of some sort, as Berrettini can attest.
“Perhaps the scariest thing in the Tour is when you find out you didn't sign for the tournament,” said the Italian. “Then you're like, 'Arghhh, I forgot', and you have to call your coach and say you didn't sign. [Calling my coach in that situation] probably the biggest fear I feel.”
