'I'm the last one that wants to retire,' says Berrettini after injury halts Roland Garros run
Paris, June 4
After a hip injury ended Matteo Berrettini's Roland Garros campaign after the Italian retired midway through his quarter-final match with Matteo Arnaldi, the Italian conceded it's the worst feeling ever but admitted, "It's the right thing to do," as it's not the last tournament he was playing in his career.
Trailing 7-5, 5-2, the former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini was forced to retire with a hip injury, a result that made the 104th-ranked Arnaldi just the second man to win a Roland-Garros quarterfinal by retirement in the Open era.
"I'm the last one that wants to retire. I'm so tired of it. I just don't want to do it, but sometimes you have to do it," Berrettini said, as quoted by the ATP tour. "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, and I have to think about my future. I have to think about my recovery."
Shortly after losing a gruelling 76-minute first set, Berrettini left the court for a medical timeout down 2-1 in the second set, and a love hold seemed to steady him briefly. Though he bravely battled on for three more games, the former world No.6 had nothing left to give, and reluctantly pulled the plug after exactly two hours.
"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. 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. Unfortunately, I didn't have any other choices than retire," Berrettini said.
The former World No. 6, who was playing his first major quarter-final since the 2022 US Open,
began the tournament at World No. 105 and is now No. 48 in the ATP Live Rankings.
"It's going to be tough, but that's the mentality that I like to - that's how I like to approach these two weeks. And of course I'm disappointed; I'm sad, but I'm also proud of the way I fought through this tournament," the Italian said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Heartbreaking to watch a player of his caliber forced to retire. The way he fought through that first set showed real champion mentality. India knows a thing or two about players battling injuries - just look at our cricketers! Berrettini's decision shows maturity. Get well soon, Matteo! 💪
Respect for Berrettini for prioritizing his health over a single match. Tennis is brutal on the body, and hip injuries are no joke. He's only 28 and still has plenty of tennis ahead of him if he manages this properly. Arnaldi played well too - credit to him for capitalizing on the situation.
This is what happens when players push through injuries for too long. Berrettini's had so many ups and downs - from Wimbledon final to injury hell and back. In India we say "swasthya hi dhan hai" (health is wealth). Hope the scans come back clean. He's a fighter, he'll be back! 🏆
Really feel for Berrettini here. Retiring is never easy for competitors, but he handled it with class. The way he spoke about thinking of his future shows real growth as a person and athlete. Quick recovery, Matteo! The tennis world needs that big serve and forehand back on tour.
Berrettini's journey from World No.105 to quarter-finals is inspirational, but injuries keep derailing his momentum. The ATP calendar is too packed - players need more breaks. Look at how Indian tennis players like Somdev Devvarman struggled with similar issues. Tennis bodies need to protect these athletes better.