Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini has tested positive for COVID-19 and he is out of Wimbledon.
On Tuesday, Berrettini was scheduled to face Cristian Garin in his Wimbledon opener.
Just two hours before the start of the match, Berrettini announced the disappointing news.
“I am heartbroken to announce that I need to withdraw from @wimbledon due to a positive COVID-19 test result,” Berrettini announced on Instagram. “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.”
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Berrettini was hoping to win Wimbledon
Last year, Berrettini reached his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon.
In the 2021 Wimbledon final, Berrettini won the first set before falling short in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
Going into this year’s Wimbledon, tennis experts and pundits all agreed that Berrettini was the second favorite for the Wimbledon title, just behind Djokovic.
Berrettini enjoyed a great preparation for Wimbledon, having won back-to-back titles in Stuttgart and Queen’s.
After winning his first nine matches on grass this season, Berrettini set his eyes on the Wimbledon title.
With Berrettini out, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal remain the top favorites for the Wimbledon title.
Meanwhile, Berrettini will take some time to recover from COVID and then likely kick off his preparation for the North American hard court swing.
Berrettini has now missed back-to-back Grand Slams.
At the French Open, Berrettini didn’t play because he was recovering from a hard surgery.
Berrettini will be hoping to make his Grand Slam return at the US Open and lift his maiden Grand Slam title there.