"It was absurd" - Berrettini on being forced to withdraw from Wimbledon due to COVID-19

Matteo Berrettini was one of the biggest favourites to triumph at the 2022 Wimbledon, before he was forced to pull out of the tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Last year, the young Italian played his first Grand Slam final at the Wimbledon and this year, he was hoping to even improve his result in the All England Club. He was named as the biggest favourite to win the title alongside Novak Djokovic, but he couldn't play a single match as the positive test halted his run. In a recent interview, Matteo Berrettini revealed how he and his team felt after finding out that he won't be able to compete.

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"It was absurd. My team tried not to look too sad, at one point I clung to the hope that I had been positive before and that I could be negative on Tuesday for the match with Garin but this did not happen. At one point we said there is something or someone who is cursing us, I don't know.”

“I've always tried to look on the bright side. I had been coming for two weeks when I couldn't have wished for better. I tried to leave London with the memory of the Queen's and not of Wimbledon.”

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Although the grass-court part of the season is usually when Berrettini performs the best, he still hopes to turn his "competitive anger" into good results in the remainder of the season as he would like to compete in front of the home crowd at the ATP Finals.

"I have a lot of motivation, competitive anger for what has been a bit taken away from me this season. The season is still long, Turin remains a target for many reasons. I feel I belong to that level, despite everything I am still in the race and I want to do my best to get there."

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