Matteo Berrettini undergoes surgery on right hand, says his doctor and team are "already discussing plans" for his return to tennis
World No. 6 Matteo Berrettini took to Instagram on Tuesday to confirm that he has undergone surgery on his right hand. Berrettini also revealed that the procedure was minor and that a swift recovery was on the cards.
The Italian pulled out of the ongoing Miami Open ahead of his tournament opener, citing an injury to his right hand. According to the 25-year-old, scans confirmed that the best course of action for his hand was surgery.
"My team and I have been speaking to medical experts since my withdrawal from Miami with a right hand injury," Matteo Berrettini wrote on Instagram. "Following multiple scans and assessments we decided a minor operation was the best solution to ensure a full and quick recovery."
Although Berrettini assured that talks about returning to tennis are underway, he did not provide an exact timeframe.
"Earlier today I had the operation and I’m happy to report it went extremely well. My doctor and team are already discussing plans for me to get back on-court," the Italian added. "I will provide an update as soon as this plan is finalized. Thanks very much as always for all the support."
A look at Matteo Berrettini's season so far
Matteo Berrettini began his season at the ATP Cup, where he lost two of his three singles fixtures, to Alex de Minaur and Daniil Medvedev. The Italian also lost two of his three doubles matches, which cost Italy a spot in the semifinals.
The 25-year-old drastically improved =at the Australian Open, where he finished as a semifinalist. Berrettini beat Brandon Nakashima, Stefan Kozlov, Carlos Alcaraz, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Gael Monfils en route to the last four, where he fell to eventual champion Rafael Nadal.
However, the Italian could not reproduce his form at the Rio Open. Receiving a bye in the first round, Berretini beat Thiago Monteiro but lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
Berrettini next headed to the Mexican Open, where he sustained an abdominal injury midway through his opening match against Tommy Paul. The Italian was forced to retire when leading 6-4, 1-5.
The 25-year-old recovered in time for the Indian Wells Masters, where he fell in the Round of 16 to Miomir Kecmanovic.