After returning to the tennis courts at the 2024 Cincinnati Open a few days ago, Matteo Berrettini has withdrawn from the 2024 Winston-Salem Open.
The Italian player has been playing fantastic tennis in the past few weeks, winning several events on clay. He hadn't had a chance to play much tennis before that, so when he finally got healthy this year, he took the chance and has been playing lots of tennis.
It was very good to see him play because one thing that sticks out about the Italian is the amount of matches he played in his career. It's relatively small. He's only played 268 career matches, and he's 28. Compared to Carlos Alcaraz, for example, who is 21, the Spaniard has already played 243 matches.
Still, Berrettini is one of the best players on the ATP Tour, but he couldn't play often due to various injuries. He's been healthy this year and played a lot. Unfortunately, the body reacts to that in unpredictable ways.
Despite having time off after his conquests in Europe, Berrettini looked flat in his most recent match against Holger Rune. It happened at the Cincinnati Open recently, with Berrettini taking the opening set but then losing the next two.
It was a fascinating match in many ways, one that highlighted Berretitni's lack of matches on hard courts. That's the reason why he signed up to play at Winston-Salem, but apparently, his plans have changed after that loss.
Berrettini didn't announce the withdrawal himself, but it came from the event organizers, who posted a press release by tournament director Jeff Ryan. In the statement, Ryan expressed disappointment that Berrettini had to withdraw but wished him good luck at the US Open.
"Regrettably, we must inform you Matteo Berrettini has withdrawn from the 2024 Winston-Salem Open. We are disappointed in this news and know you are, too."
"That’s the thing about live sport – we never know what will happen. The players must preserve their bodies, as that’s their livelihood. This season is long, and the conditions can sometimes be grueling. We have enjoyed watching Matteo on the comeback trail and wish him well in his endeavors in New York."
Neither the announcement nor Berrettini's silence sheds much light on the reasons for his withdrawal, but it could be a combination of factors. He looked a bit flat against Rune, which might indicate that he's still a bit fatigued.
Playing more matches then wouldn't help him much. Because of that, practices in New York with some good players might prove enough. Another option is that he was happy with his stay in Cincinnati and concluded that he didn't need more matches.
The specific reason for his withdrawal is unknown, but the US Open has been a good event for him in the past. There is probably some underlying confidence in this decision.
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