Matteo Berrettini has withdrawn from Wimbledon after testing positive for Covid-19.
The 2021 men’s runner-up pulled out of the competition on Tuesday morning, just two hours before his first-round contest against Chilean Christian Garin was due to begin on Court One.
Italian world No11 Berrettini is the second player to withdraw from Wimbledon in two days, with 2017 finalist Marin Cilic also testing positive and replaced by Nuno Borges on Monday.
Berrettini’s loss is a major one for the tournament, with the eighth seed deemed among the favourites for victory in the men’s singles draw amid an unbeaten 9-0 run on grass so far in 2022 and recent titles at Queen’s Club and the Stuttgart Open.
Both Cilic and Berrettini were in Rafael Nadal’s half of the draw, with their respective absences now making the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s path to the final less treacherous as he bids to move one step closer to a calendar Grand Slam.
“I am heartbroken to announce that I need to withdraw from Wimbledon due to a positive COVID-19 test result,” Berrettini wrote on Instagram.
“I have had flu symptoms and been isolating the last few days. Despite symptoms not being 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.
“I have no words to describe the extreme disappointment I feel. The dream is over for this year, but I will be back stronger. Thank you for the support.”
The All England Club is believed to be reviewing its Covid protocol in light of the Berrettini and Cilic withdrawals and are expected to provide a further update later on Tuesday afternoon.
But a spokesperson said: “As a major event we have and continue to work in conjunction with the UK Public Health Security Agency and our local authority.
“We have maintained enhanced cleaning and hand-sanitising operations, and offer full medical support for anyone feeling unwell. We are following UK guidance around assessment and isolation of any potential infectious disease.
“Our player medical team also continue to wear face masks for any consultation.”
