ATP Finals 2021: Alexander Zverev empathizes with Matteo Berrettini after the Italian's mid-match retirement due to injury
After a blistering first-set performance against Alexander Zverev which ended in an unsuccessful tie-break, berrettini" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Matteo Berrettini was forced to retire due to injury in the second set. Berrettini picked up an injury in his right oblique midway through the match, which rendered him incapable of continuing.
Alexander Zverev has now posted a message on Instagram dedicated to his Italian counterpart, highlighting the respect he has for the fellow athlete.
Zverev empathized with Berrettini over what he was going through, before urging him to "hold his head high" and come back stronger in the next match.
"We are all athletes who want to do the best we can to win, but the most important is that at the end of the day we can shake each other’s hand in good health and prepare for our next match," the caption of the post read. "Today wasn’t the case and I can't imagine what you feel right now @matberrettini. All I can tell you is to hold your head high and you will be back!"
"Not being able to finish the match is killing me" - Matteo Berrettini
Being the home favorite at Turin, Matteo Berrettini was looking to capitalize on crowd support and finish his season on a high. But it was not meant to be for the Italian, who has had the best season of his career so far and achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 7.
Berrettini was evidently upset about not being able to compete further in the match, but he appreciated the atmosphere created by the crowd at the Pala Alpitour stadium.
"Not being able to finish the match is killing me," Berrettini was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour. "It is just really tough to face. I really wanted to enjoy every second, that’s what we said as a team. The worst thing that could have happened, happened."
"The atmosphere was one of the best I ever felt in my life," he added. "It was unbelievable. That is probably why I feel so bad right now."
This is not the first time Berrettini has had to stay off the court due to an injury this season. The Wimbledon finalist suffered an abdominal injury after the first Major of the season in Melbourne, keeping him out of contention for nearly two months.
The Italian also skipped the recently concluded Paris Masters due to stiffness in his neck, deciding not to take any risks with his fitness before the ATP Finals. Hence, it is understandable why injury concerns that are likely to cut his season short would be extremely distressing for Berrettini.
We're all with you, Matteo. 🙏
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On Sunday, Berrettini also made a reference to the abdominal injury he had suffered in Melbourne back in February.
"It is mentally really tough for me because I used to have an injury close to the same area, so it is tough to play," Berrettini said.
If Berrettini confirms his unavailability for the tournament, it is likely that Jannik Sinner will replace the Italian in the round-robin group stage of the tournament. As of now, there has been no official update from Berrettini's team.