Matteo Berrettini has officially withdrawn from the 2022 Roland Garros as an ongoing hand injury continues to disrupt the Italian's campaign.
Berrettini has not featured since the 2022 Indian Wells main draw, where he lost in the fourth round against Miomir Kecmanovic. Since then, the Italian has missed out on several high-profile tournaments, including the Miami and Madrid Opens, after he required emergency surgery on his hand.
It was clearly a major disappointment for Berrettini after the 26-year-old showed promising early-season signs in 2022. At the Australian Open, Berrettini progressed to the semi-finals and reached number six in the ATP rankings before losing to eventual winner Rafael Nadal.
In addition, the Italian said in a pre-Roland Garros statement that he was feeling better in his recovery and continuing to work on the courts to get back to fitness. Yet, he and his team ultimately decided that jumping straight back into major tennis on a challenging surface could lead to long-term injury issues.
"Following a very positive update from my medical team, I am now back on-court training at a high level. My hand is feeling great and I am working hard to build up my match fitness."
"My team and I have made the decision that going straight back into 5 set matches on clay at Roland Garros would not be sensible, therefore I will delay my comeback to compete in the full grass season. Thank you as always for all the support. I can’t wait to be back competing."
Berrettini's official confirmation that he is out of the 2022 Roland Garros does not come as a surprise. Two weeks ago, the Italian player hinted that he was considering skipping the Paris-based major because he did not want to rush his recovery.
Roland Garros has been Berrettini's weakest Grand Slam tournament, as it is the only major where he's yet to reach a semifinal. As a result, his latest withdrawal may be a more tactical decision so he can target more favorable competitions later in the campaign, like Wimbledon, where the 26-year-old reached the final last season.
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