Italian tennis might be on the rise, but it’s not been great for a certain Matteo Berrettini. The former Wimbledon finalist recently looked to be perfectly ready to compete for the biggest titles in the world. However, things once again took a huge stumble before Roland Garros.
In the Italian Open, Berrettini retired from his Round of 32 clash against Casper Ruud. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist was seen in pain, leaving the ground in tears. After finishing the match, Ruud couldn’t celebrate as he wrote a ‘Get Well Matteo’ message supporting his losing opponent. Berrettini has reportedly been suffering from an abdominal injury and has huge question marks before the French Open.
What Has Matteo Berrettini Said?
After his Italian Open loss against Ruud, Berrettini was visibly emotional. The emotions transpired in his post-match press conference. According to Motorcycle Sports, the Italian said, “When I woke up yesterday, I realized things were difficult. Then the love for this tournament, for the city, and my brother [Jacopo] pushed me to try until the end. Today, until ten minutes before the match, I thought I couldn’t do it, but my body surprised me until I felt another sharp pain and couldn’t continue.”
Berrettini claimed that initially he had no clue about the injury. However, he had to protect himself by avoiding further damage. “I didn’t want to retire, but I know what happens if I keep going—I could be out for three months, and that’s not something I want. I hope I’ve stopped in time, and I don’t think I’ve destroyed myself.”
Berrettini was down 7-5, 2-0 in the second set when he pulled the plug on his match against Ruud. Unfortunately, the former top-10 player has had to withdraw for the same reason at the Madrid Open. Considering the Grand Slam matches will be five sets, this adds further question marks to Berrettini’s health.
Not Every Italian Tennis Player Is Happy
The Italian tennis is on the rise with ATP and WTA producing gems left, right, and center. The sport is happy to see the return of World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who served a three-month suspension for his doping scandal. Similarly, Lorenzo Musetti continues to improve after reaching his first Masters 1000 final this year. Last year, he won the Olympic bronze medal and reached his first Grand Slam semifinal.
On the WTA side, Jasmine Paolini continues to impress. She hopes to build on her runner-up performances at Roland Garros and Wimbledon last year. However, it has been gloomy for Berrettini in the past couple of years. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist returned to full competitive form the previous year as he contributed to Italy’s Davis Cup title defense. This year, he notched up crucial wins, such as beating Novak Djokovic at the Qatar Open. However, the setback of the abdominal injury has once again killed off his momentum.
