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Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up and a title favorite this 12 months, pulled out of the event on Tuesday after testing optimistic for coronavirus.
“I’m heartbroken to announce that I must withdraw from @wimbledon as a result of a optimistic COVID-19 check end result,” the 26-year-old Italian wrote on Instagram.
Berrettini was broadly thought to be one of many greatest threats to defending champion Novak Djokovic on the All England Membership, having captured back-to-back grass-court titles in Stuttgart and Queen’s.
He’s the second man to withdraw from Wimbledon with COVID-19 in two days after 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic of Croatia additionally examined optimistic.
“I’ve had flu signs and been isolating the previous couple of days,” Berrettini mentioned in his assertion.
“Regardless of signs not being extreme, I made a decision it was vital to take one other check this morning to guard the well being and security of my fellow rivals and everybody else concerned within the event.
“I’ve no phrases to explain the acute disappointment I really feel. The dream is over for this 12 months, however I will likely be again stronger.”
Berrettini was a possible semi-final opponent of two-time champion Rafael Nadal.
As an alternative, his place within the Wimbledon first spherical will likely be taken by Sweden’s Elias Ymer, a fortunate loser from qualifying.
Ymer will face Chile’s Christian Garin later Tuesday within the first spherical.
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