“I'm at a loss for words”: Berrettini devastated

“Heartbroken,” wrote last year’s Italian finalist and was the second prominent tennis professional after former US Open champion Marin Cilic to announce his cancellation shortly before his opening game due to an infection with the virus. Given the sharp increase in the number of positive tests in England and no restrictions for players and spectators, Corona is coming back into focus after the tournament was canceled two years ago.

“I have no words to describe how extremely disappointed I am,” Berrettini wrote on Tuesday. “The dream for this year is over, but I will come back stronger.” He had had cold symptoms for a few days and took a test in the morning, which came back positive. Dream comeback after hand surgery – but now... Berrettini had reached the final against the Serbian Novak Djokovic in 2021 and was one of the top favorites to win the title. He recently celebrated a strong comeback after an operation on his right hand and won the Wimbledon preparation tournaments in Stuttgart and Queens.

Marin Cilic also has to pass. © AFP / ADRIAN DENNIS

Four years before Berrettini, Cilic also reached the Wimbledon final. The 33-year-old canceled his start on Monday evening due to a coronavirus infection. “I still don’t feel good and can’t do my best,” he wrote. Cilic had trained with the top-seeded defending champion Djokovic on Center Court on Thursday. Djokovic says he is still unvaccinated. Players and spectators no longer have to show proof of vaccination or prove negative tests at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Corona numbers are skyrocketing There is also a tight crowd in the professional area, especially on the first days of the tournament. “When it rains, all the players and all the guests are in the restaurant and there are not many places to sit,” reported the German Andrea Petkovic after her first round exit.

The 34-year-old also spoke out in favor of the return of a measure given her own negative experiences at the French Open. “If I had something to say, I would reintroduce the mask in closed rooms,” she said, but also admitted: “It is difficult because people also want to go back to normal life. It’s been really hard now, two years, I can understand that.”

At Wimbledon, up to 42.000 spectators crowd the facility without masks, and interviews with the professionals are conducted in narrow, windowless rooms. The number of positive tests in England had risen by more than a third in the previous week to over 100.000 within seven days.

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“I'm at a loss for words”: Berrettini devastated

With a black and white photo and sad words, co-favorite Matteo Berrettini significantly exacerbated the Corona worries at the grass classic in Wimbledon.

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