“I’m tired of retiring”: Matteo Berrettini opens up after Roland Garros injury heartbreak

Matteo Berrettini's return to the latter stages of a Grand Slam ended in disappointment on Wednesday night after the Italian retired from his Roland Garros quarterfinal against compatriot Matteo Arnaldi. Trailing 7-5, 5-2 after two hours on court, the former World No. 6 was unable to continue due to a hip injury that worsened as the match progressed.

The retirement halted what had been Berrettini's best major run since reaching the quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open. The Italian arrived in Paris ranked No. 104 in the world but leaves the tournament projected back inside the Top 50 at No. 48 in the live rankings after a strong fortnight.

It was also his first appearance at Roland Garros since 2021, when he reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Since the start of 2023, Berrettini has played only seven Grand Slam main draws, missing six because of injuries that have repeatedly interrupted his career.

Over the first week in Paris, Berrettini frequently spoke about how much he was enjoying being back at Roland Garros after missing four consecutive editions of the tournament. That made the ending even more frustrating for a player who had rebuilt momentum with victories over Arthur Rinderknech and Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, the man who had earlier eliminated World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

Berrettini revealed that the problem first appeared midway through the opening set. Despite feeling discomfort while serving, he initially attempted to play through it, focusing on the challenge of the match rather than the physical issue.

"In the middle of the first set, I started to feel something when I was serving," Berrettini admited in press conference. "I was competing, that match was really tough and I just didn't really think much of it. I just kept going and I tried to do my best."

As the contest continued, the situation became increasingly difficult to manage. Berrettini called for medical assistance during the second set and briefly left the court for treatment, but the pain continued to intensify whenever he served or accelerated through his forehand.

"The more that I was playing, the more I was serving, the more I was hitting forehands and the worse I was feeling. The medical team told me that the area was really sore and really painful. I just tried, but then the pain was too much."

The Italian confirmed that the issue is located in his hip, although he does not yet know the exact diagnosis. He said further scans over the coming days will determine the severity of the injury and whether any significant damage has occurred. "It's definitely the hip. I don't know exactly what it is and hopefully the scans are going to be clear and they can tell me what I have. I never had anything like that."

When asked about the decision to stop the match, Berrettini admitted the hardest part was not accepting the medical reality but confronting a familiar situation that has repeatedly affected his career over recent years. "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."

The 30-year-old said the most difficult aspect was losing the opportunity to compete until the end. Rather than accepting defeat through normal sporting circumstances, he was left wondering what might have happened had he been physically capable of continuing.

"I didn't want the tournament to end like this. I just wanted to finish my match. Losing, winning, obviously, was important, but it's a different feeling when you go home and you just think about what you could have done better. I feel like it was taking away the chance to perform until the last point, to try. And it's a little bit what happened in the last years."

Despite the disappointment, Berrettini acknowledged how unlikely this quarterfinal run would have seemed only a few weeks ago. After spending much of the last three seasons battling injuries and falling outside the world's top 100, he leaves Paris with renewed confidence in his level. "I have to take the good stuff that I did in this tournament because a few weeks ago, a few days ago, it would have been crazy to think about me in the quarterfinals."

While the diagnosis remains unclear, Berrettini insisted retirement was the only sensible option once the pain reached a level where he could no longer compete properly. He stressed that continuing would have risked a longer recovery and potentially greater damage.

"I'm obviously disappointed, but I think if I kept playing, I would have done way worse and probably the recovery time would have been longer. So unfortunately, I didn't have any other choices than to retire."

The Italian also pointed to the importance of protecting his future rather than focusing solely on a single tournament, even one as significant as a Grand Slam quarterfinal.

"I'm the last one that wants to retire and I'm so tired of it. I just don't want to do it. But sometimes you have to do it. A lot of players have done it in the past and it's the worst feeling ever. But it's the right thing to do because it's not the last tournament I'm going to play in my life. I have to think about my future. I have to think about my recovery."

For all the frustration surrounding another injury setback, Berrettini believes there is still plenty to take from his fortnight in Paris, where he re-established himself among the contenders on the biggest stages. goode"I'll try to go back home with a smile on my face. Of course I'm disappointed, I'm sad, but I'm also proud of the way I fought through this tournament."