Matteo Berrettini has withdrawn from the Wimbledon after testing positive for COVID-19 just days after practicing on Centre Court with Rafael Nadal
Matteo Berrettini has confirmed on social media that he has tested positive for Covid-19 and as a result, he is withdrawing from Wimbledon 2022. The popular Italian, in fine form after winning the Queen’s Championship last week, joined former runner-up Marin Cilic in pulling out, further depleting the field in the absence of Russians and Belarussians.
Berrettini had trained with Nadal on Centre Court just days before his positive test, in the first-ever pre-tournament practice to break in the surface. The Italian even shared a picture of them on Instagram after they had trained together.
Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini had a 45-minute practice session together on the Centre Court. The first time this has ever happened was on a Thursday before the tournament. The idea was to slightly break in the surface and try to minimize the slipping and sliding often seen in the early rounds. The decision comes after incidents in recent years that have seen players struggle to keep their footing on the slick virgin surface.
However, Nadal’s proximity with Berrettini has certainly raised concerns about the Spaniard’s further participation. This occurred after the Italian tested positive.
Berrettini’s withdrawal follows that of former finalist Marin Cilic. He had announced on Monday that he had also tested positive for COVID-19. Cilic trained with Novak Djokovic just days before his positive test.
Matteo Berrettini is ‘heart-broken as Covid ends his Wimbledon dream
In his official statement on Instagram, a dejected Berrettini wrote – “I am heartbroken to announce that I need to withdraw from @wimbledon due to a positive COVID-19 test result. I have had flu symptoms and been isolating the last few days. Despite symptoms not being severe, I decided it was important to take another test this morning to protect the health and safety of my fellow competitors and everyone else involved in the tournament. I have no words to describe the extreme disappointed I feel. The dream is over for this year, but I will be back stronger. Thank you for the support.”
Berrettini had only made his comeback from injury at the Stuttgart Open. He then went on to win the grasscourt title, beating Andy Murray in the final. And the Italian tennis ace followed that up with a terrific run at Queen’s to defend his title from 2021.
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