Matteo Berrettini, last year’s Wimbledon runner-up, withdrew before his Wimbledon first-round match Tuesday due to COVID.
“I am heartbroken to announce that I need to withdraw from @wimbledon due to a positive COVID-19 test result,” Berrettini posted on social media. “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.”
On Monday, Croatian Marin Cilic, another past Wimbledon runner-up, withdrew due to COVID.
Their withdrawals mean that the men in the draw who have reached a Wimbledon final are Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
The 11th-ranked Berrettini returned from March right hand surgery to win a pair of grass-court tournaments this month, making him again one of the top challengers to favorite Djokovic.
Last year, he became the first Italian man to reach a major final since Adriano Panatta won the 1976 French Open. He won the first set off Djokovic in the final before being defeated in four sets.
Berrettini, 26, was replaced in the draw by Elias Ymer, who faces Cristian Garin in the first round.
WIMBLEDON DRAWS: Women | Men
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