Matteo Berrettini's stop start path back continues to blight him as he had to withdraw from the 2024 Rome Open on Wednesday afternoon before he was due to play his opener tomorrow.
Berrettini suffered with tonsillitis which prevented him from playing in Munich and Madrid and he is not 100% physically and doesn't want to put himself in harms way ahead of the French Open albeit he hinted he will play before. But it is another heartbreaker for Berrettini and also the tournament. The same tournament that also lost a certain Jannik Sinner due to injury meaning the Italian participation numbers dwindle.
“I tried to do everything to play in Rome, but I won't be able to. I'm not ready to compete tomorrow, I risk getting hurt and sitting out. I had to put my heart aside and do what's right. I hope to be able to play in Paris or before," said Berrettini.
But he hinted that it wasn't plain sailing anyway earlier this week saying he was only playing as they were in Rome. "It's nice to be back in Rome. A lot has changed. I found everything improved, but the energy is still the same. It's nice to find the support and energy that I've missed so much in recent years. Today was more of a refinement."
"I haven't been able to train much lately and I'm here because we are in Rome. I'm trying in every way to play, because three years have passed and I missed it so much. I'm giving it my all. It was a very complex preparation for the tournament and I'm trying. I would have liked to arrive in different conditions."
Matteo Berrettini withdraws from Rome. Absolutely crushed for him. 💔 No matter how hard he tries, he just can’t get 100% healthy again. “I tried to do everything to play in Rome, but I won't be able to. I'm not ready to compete tomorrow, I risk getting hurt and sitting out.…
