Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini has cast a shadow of uncertainty over his Australian Open campaign after a sudden illness forced him to withdraw from a key exhibition match in Melbourne.
Exhibition Withdrawal Raises Alarm
The former Wimbledon finalist and world No. 56 was compelled to retire early from his match at the Red Bull Bassline event at Melbourne Park on Friday night. Berrettini had played just one set against Norway's Nicolai Budkov Kjaer before pulling out due to the unspecified illness. This setback arrives at a critical juncture, with the 30-year-old slated to face Australian hope and sixth seed Alex de Minaur in the first round of the Open on Monday.
A History of Fitness Struggles
This latest health scare compounds a torrid period of physical troubles for the powerful Italian. Berrettini's 2023 season was ravaged by an oblique injury, which forced him to retire from the Italian Open and subsequently ruled him out of both the French Open and the US Open. His early exit in the second round of last year's Australian Open means he has now missed seven Grand Slam tournaments in the past four years. A bright spot was his return to help Italy clinch the Davis Cup in November, but his readiness for a five-set battle is now under serious question.
De Minaur Braces for Battle Despite Uncertainty
Despite the question marks over his opponent's condition, Alex de Minaur is preparing for a stern test. The Sydneysider, who enters his home Grand Slam with his highest-ever seeding, holds a 2-2 record against Berrettini on hard courts, though the Italian leads their overall head-to-head 3-2. De Minaur acknowledged the difficulty of his draw, which could see him face Frances Tiafoe in the third round, Alexander Bublik in the fourth, and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
"Ultimately, every single player in the draw is extremely tough," de Minaur said on Friday. "I knew going in that there were going to be many unseeded players which were going to be really tough match-ups. It's going to be a battle, but I'm looking forward to it."
Should he overcome Berrettini, de Minaur would face either Argentina's Mariano Navone or Serbia's Hamad Medjedovic in the second round. All eyes, however, will first be on the fitness of Matteo Berrettini as the opening day of the Australian Open approaches.
