Roland Garros: the nightmare goes on for Berrettini, Arnaldi marches into the semi-finals
Face hidden beneath his cap, eyes red as he walked off the court. Matteo Berrettini could not hold back the tears on Wednesday night on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Italian retired from his Roland Garros quarter-final against Matteo Arnaldi while trailing 7-5, 5-2.
For a man back in a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time in four years, it was a brutal sight. Once again, his body had other ideas.
A match that had turned on its head
It had all started Berrettini’s way. Full of intent in the opening games, the former Wimbledon finalist raced out of the blocks, earning a double break and a 3-0 lead after only a few minutes.
But Arnaldi never panicked. Bit by bit, the younger of the two Italians fought his way back as his opponent coughed up errors. Then the momentum flipped. Berrettini let the lead slip, then the first set, which Arnaldi took 7-5 after more than an hour.
The Paris crowd was expecting a long fight after that. Both players looked set for a bruising night on the Paris clay.
Berrettini’s left hip finally gave way
The turning point came early in the second set. After being broken in his opening service game, Berrettini started to show signs of discomfort. Moments later, he left the court for treatment after reporting pain in his left hip.
When he returned, the movement was harder, the strokes less free-flowing. For all his effort to stay in it, Berrettini could no longer live with Arnaldi’s pace. Once the 25-year-old moved clear to 5-2, the end was inevitable. Berrettini walked to the net and called time on his night, unable to go on.
Arnaldi keeps rolling
On the other side of the net, Matteo Arnaldi took the news with restraint. The 25-year-old had just landed the biggest win of his career by reaching the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.
After several draining matches earlier in the fortnight, he got a quicker route through than expected this time. Speaking on court, his first thought was for Matteo Berrettini, praising his run before admitting it was a shame such a big match ended with a retirement.
The world No 104 will now face Flavio Cobolli for a place in the final. It already guarantees an Italian will be there on the last weekend of the tournament.
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Another injury in a career already marked by them
For Berrettini, this latest exit drags back memories he would rather leave buried. Injuries have stalked his career for years, cutting short every attempt to get back to the top. Down at world No 105, Berrettini had at least been finding encouraging signs in Paris. His run had taken him back to a Grand Slam quarter-final, a stage he had not reached since 2021.
On Wednesday night, the hope of a fresh start gave way to frustration. Once again, it was not an opponent who beat Matteo Berrettini, but his own body.
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