Matteo Berrettini out of Wimbledon due to covid-19

Matteo Berrettini, one of the favorites to win this year’s Wimbledon men’s singles title and a finalist at last year’s contest has had to withdraw from the tournament after testing positive for covid-19.

He joins Marin Cilic, another former Wimbledon finalist, who earlier announced his withdrawal due to the virus.

Berrettini: ‘The dream is over for this year’

Berrettini shared his disappointment at missing the tournament on a post on Instagram.

“I am heartbroken to announce that I need to withdraw from Wimbledon due to a positive COVID-19 test result,” he wrote.

“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 disappointed I feel. The dream is over for this year, but I will be back stronger. Thank you for the support.”

Berrettini was last year’s runner-up at The Championships, losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets. Playing for the trophy was historic, as he was the first Italian to ever reach the Wimbledon final.

Berrettini: Impressive on grass

The 26-year-old was a heavy favorite to win the title this year as he has won 20 of his last 21 matches on grass, his only defeat being the one dealt by Djokovic.

He started the grasscourt season earlier this month with a victory at the Stuttgart Open, then successfully defended his title at the Queen’s Club Championships.

Berrettini was slated to face Cristian Garin in his first match. Garin will now play against Elias Ymer.