WIMBLEDON, England – Matteo Beretini, a Wimbledon finalist last year, withdrew from this year’s tournament on Tuesday after testing positive for coronavirus.
Beretini’s announcement of his retirement came just about two hours before he appeared on the court for his first-round match against Christian Garin and was the final blow to a Grand Slam tournament that was already shorter than usual for the stars and was deprived of ranking points for this edition of tours for men and women.
Beretini, who is unbeaten on grass courts this season and ranked No. 8 at Wimbledon, was one of the leading contenders for the men’s singles title. His withdrawal came a day after another player, Marin Cilic, ranked 14th from Croatia and a 2017 Wimbledon finalist, also retired after a positive test.
The double withdrawal raised the prospect of an outbreak among the Wimbledon group of players, which is already missing several stars due to injury and a ban on the tournament for Russian and Belarusian players.
Beretini and Cilic have been in contact with many players in recent weeks. They both played in the Queen’s Club grass tournament in London, which ended on June 19, with Beretini winning the singles title and Cilic reaching the semifinals.
They both trained at Wimbledon last week and used the locker room reserved for players. Beretini trained on the Central Court on Thursday with Rafael Nadal, ranked No. 2. Cilic trained on the Central Court with Novak Djokovic, ranked No. 1.
Djokovic, who said he remained unvaccinated against the coronavirus, won his first-round match on Monday, defeating South Korea’s Kuon Sun-Wu in four sets. Djokovic served particularly well, but he was far from the sharpest in other areas, at one point he seemed to have little energy and was flooded with water when changing. On Tuesday, Nadal had to play at Wimbledon for the first time since 2019, against Francisco Cherundolo in the first round of the Central Court.
Wimbledon was abolished in 2020 due to the pandemic and imposed strict restrictions last year, following the guidelines of the British government. A coronavirus test is required for players, support team members and tournament officials and staff. But with the loosening of government mandates this year, no Wimbledon testing is currently required.
In a statement, the All England Club said its policy was “in line with agreed practice across the UK”
The club said some health and safety measures were still in place. “We have supported improved hand cleaning and disinfection operations and are offering full medical care to anyone who feels unwell,” the statement said.
Masks are not required for the tournament, but the players’ medical team continues to wear them for any consultation and the club stressed that Wimbledon’s health and safety policies are regularly reviewed and can be updated.
But the tournament obviously has a problem that could get bigger.
In all, five of the top 20 men were unable to play at Wimbledon due to bans, injuries or illness. Russia’s No. 1 Daniil Medvedev was blocked from competing after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russians and their Belarusian allies led to touring revenge by removing points from the tournament.
Number 2 Alexander Zverev is out for a long time after tearing ligaments in his right ankle at the French Open earlier this month.
There was also an early setback on Monday when Hubert Hurkacz, the No. 7 seed and strong contender, was defeated in five sets in the first round by Alejandro Davidovic Fokina.
Beretini, a 6-foot-tall Italian, missed a few months of action earlier this season due to surgery on his right arm, his main playing arm. But he returned for the grass season earlier this month and won consecutive titles at Stuttgart and the Queen’s Club.
“My heart is broken,” Beretini said in a post on his Instagram account announcing his resignation. “I had flu symptoms and I was isolated for the last few days. Although the symptoms were not 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. ”
Beretini, like many of the leading players, had stayed in private accommodation in Wimbledon, not in one of the players’ hotels in central London. He has not been at the All England Club since Saturday and now, despite his thunderous serve and forehand, he will have to wait until next year.
“I have no words to describe the ultimate disappointment I feel,” he said. “The dream is over for this year, but I will come back stronger.
Cilic, 33, is also in resurgent form, beating Medvedev in the fourth round of the French Open on his way to the semifinals. With his long range, huge service and equal starting power, he is dangerous on the grass and, like Beretini, was one of the players who had to watch carefully in the lower half of the men’s draw.
Cilic could face Nadal in the fourth round; Beretini could face him in the semifinals. But now Nadal’s path, if left healthy, seems far less daunting.
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