"Certainly not the way I hoped my US Open would end" - Matteo Berrettini opens up about mid-match retirement in New York after horrific injury
Matteo Berrettini's campaign at the 2023 US Open ended prematurely, as he took a sharp tumble and was forced to retire mid-match in the second round.
The Italian was up against Arthur Rinderknech of France on Thursday, August 31. But the match could not be completed as Berrettini went to the ground in agony after rolling over his ankle midway through the second set. Rinderknech thus won the contest 6-4, 5-3 (r).
The medical team quickly rushed to the court to assist Berrettini, who was tightly clutching his ankle; they carried him off the court and towards his bench. The Italian had to exit the stadium in a wheelchair.
Matteo Berrettini has now taken to Instagram to address the situation. In a social media post, the 27-year-old said he did not want the match to end that way and that he was working closely with his medical team. He also expressed hope of having an update on his physical state soon.
"Certainly not the way I hoped my US Open would end. I have been working closely with medical experts since I left the court. We are now waiting for scan results to determine the best next steps. Thank you very much for all the kind messages. I will provide a further update soon," Berrettini wrote on Instagram.
Matteo Berrettini to drop out of top 50 in ATP rankings after US Open exit
After his exit from the US Open, where he was defending 360 points, Matteo Berrettini is set to drop out of the top 50 in the ATP rankings. The Italian is currently projected to nosedive to the World No. 65 spot, from his current ranking of World No. 36. Berrettini has been as high as World No. 6 in his career.
The Italian reached the US Open quarterfinals last year after beating Nicolas Jarry, Hugo Grenier, Andy Murray and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. This year, he began his registered a straight-sets victory over No. 29 seed Ugo Humbert before retiring against Rinderknech.
The US Open is the latest in a series of Grand Slams where Matteo Berrettini has struggled to gain or defend points. He exited the Australian Open in the first round, withdrew from the French Open due to an injury, and lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon fourth round.
Apart from that, Berrettini also failed to defend his two titles from last year, the Stuttgart Open and the Queen's Club Championship.
He is also unlikely to participate in his next scheduled tournament, the ATP 500 Beijing Open, which is set to begin on September 28.