Matteo Berrettini’s run at Roland Garros was cut cruelly short last night, after he was forced to retire injured from his match against Matteo Arnaldi.
It marked a sad end to what has been a hugely impressive two weeks from the 30-year-old, who finally seemed to have put his fitness woes behind him.
Alas, now a new ailment has emerged, which he revealed in his post-match press conference whilst also sharing his emotional reaction to having to retire again.
Matteo Berrettini reveals what his new injury is after Roland Garros retirement
Asked when he first started to feel the issue, Matteo Berrettini stated: “In the middle of the first set, I started to feel something when I was serving, but, you know, like I was competing, that was really tough, and I just didn’t really think much of it. I just kept going and tried to do my best.
“It was a really tough task today, but then the more that I was playing, the more I was serving, the more I was hitting forehands, and the worse I was feeling. I took the medical time out, and they told me that the area was really sore and really painful.
“So I just tried, but then the pain was too much, and I hope that I didn’t do any serious damage. I just have to wait and see in the next days for the scans and everything to see what it is. Hopefully, it’s nothing too bad.”
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He briefly expanded on the injury, adding: “It’s definitely the hip, and I don’t know exactly what it is, and hopefully the scans are gonna be clear, you know, and they can tell me what I have.
“I never had anything like that. “It is what it is; I have to take, unfortunately, the right decision, even though it was obviously a big stage. I’m the last one that wants to retire, you know, and I’m so tired of it. I just. I don’t want to do it, but sometimes you have to do it.”
Berrettini then explained just how tough the decision was to retire: “It was really hard, not because I thought it wasn’t the right thing, but mostly because I’ve done it many times and I’m tired of retiring, you know?
“Like, I didn’t want the tournament to end like this. This, it’s… I feel like it was taken away, like, the chance to perform until that last point to try, and it’s a little bit what happened, you know, like in the last years.”
John McEnroe had said he wanted Berrettini to make a run at Roland Garros, and whilst the quarter-finals represented a fine return, had he not gotten injured, there might have even been more to come.
Matteo Berrettini could be a threat at Wimbledon if he is fit
Considering how well Berrettini performed at Roland Garros this year, on arguably his weakest surface, the hope is that he can translate this fine form to Wimbledon.
After all, the Italian famously favours the grass, as a former finalist at the All England Club.
However, that is if he is not physically compromised.
It would be so devastating to see Berrettini ruled out for some time because of this fresh ailment, just after he seemed set to enjoy a period of consistency on court.
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“Every time I take to the field on grass, I feel good, and I want to play for hours,” he once said about the surface.
Hopefully, if he can rest and recover appropriately after this cruel quarter-final retirement in Paris, Berrettini can return even stronger, ready to make a genuine run for the Wimbledon title.