Berrettini pulls out of French Open, targets return on grass

Matteo Berrettini of Italy celebrates after winning a match point against Dominic Thiem of Austria during their ATP World Tour Finals singles tennis match. (Alberto Pezzali/AP)

PARIS — Eighth-ranked Matteo Berrettini withdrew from the upcoming French Open as he continues his recovery from surgery on his right hand.

The Italian announced in late March that he was having minor surgery. He wrote on Saturday on Instagram that he's making good progress but not quite ready to return yet.

"My hand is feeling great and I am working hard to build up my match fitness,'' he wrote. "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.''

The French Open starts on May 22.

Berrettini reached the quarterfinals last year at Roland Garros, losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in four sets. He then lost to Djokovic in four sets in the Wimbledon final.

When submitting content, please abide by our  submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.
We use cookies to improve your experience. Learn More or change your cookie preferences. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the use of cookies.
close