Matteo Arnaldi into French Open semi-finals as Matteo Berrettini suffers more injury heartache - 'You could cry for him'
Updated 03/06/2026 at 23:57 GMT+1
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Matteo Berrettini's French Open run was brought to a cruel end after he was forced to retire from his quarter-final against Matteo Arnaldi in the second set through injury.
How Berrettini's French Open ended with more injury heartbreak
Video credit: TNT Sports
Berrettini hadn't been physically fit enough to feature at Roland-Garros since 2021 but looked to have finally put his long-term injury problems behind him in Paris.
However, they reared their ugly head once again as he battled his fellow Italian for a place in the last four.
The problems started just before Arnaldi edged a tight first set as Berrettini's movement started to look restricted and uncomfortable.
And it all came to a head in the seventh game of the second set when the 30-year-old began limping while running during points.
With the coaches in his box gesturing to him to retire, Berrettini reluctantly called it quits.
"It just doesn't make sense for him to continue," Jim Courier said on commentary for TNT Sports.
"After all he's been through, you could cry for him," co-commentator Nick Mullins added.
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Highlights: Arnaldi moves into last four after Berrettini retires with injury
Video credit: TNT Sports
"You have to have so much empathy for Matteo Berrettini," Courier continued.
"One of the more gifted players of his generation. A Wimbledon finalist, a player everyone knows is top 10 when healthy, but he's not been healthy for so much of his career. The thoughts that must be swirling in his mind."
The match had started so positively for Berrettini. He broke Arnaldi twice to race into a 3-0 lead in the opener, but he was pegged back as his opponent reeled off four consecutive games.
The first set looked to be heading to a tie-break, but Arnaldi forced a couple of unforced errors out of Berrettini at a crucial moment to take the advantage.
It was then Arnaldi’s turn to break early in the second, only to be broken back immediately. However, as Berrettini’s physical condition deteriorated, Arnaldi took control.
Three games in a row against an ailing opponent was enough to book Arnaldi's spot against Flavio Cobolli in the semi-finals.
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And he was eager to wish his compatriot a speedy recovery, saying: "It’s tough for him. We both played a lot, so it's normal to be not at our best, but you never wish someone like to end the tournament like this.
"He did an amazing tournament, we are all doing such a good job in Italy, so I'm sorry for him, and I hope he recovers, because soon he's going to come to grass and he’s going to be very tough to play."
So while it was joy for one Italian, it was an all-too familiar feeling of despair for the other.
Speaking about the decision to retire, a beleaguered Berrettini confirmed it was "in the middle of the first set" when he started to feel something before it got progressively worse.
”It was really hard because I thought it wasn’t the right thing, but mostly because I’ve done it many times and I’m tired of retiring," Berrettini said.
”I didn’t want the tournament to end like this. I just wanted to finish my match, losing [or] winning obviously was important.
”Like this, I feel like the chance to perform until the last point was taken away.
”I have to take the good stuff from this tournament because a few weeks ago it would have been crazy to think I’d be in the quarter-finals.
”Of course I’m disappointed, I’m sad but I’m always proud of the way I fought through this tournament.”
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'Hope I didn’t do any serious damage' - Berrettini reveals nature of injury
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As for nature of the injury, he added: ”It’s definitely the hip and I don’t know exactly what it is. Hopefully the scans are going to be clear and they can tell me what I have.
”I struggled with my right hip at the end of 2019 into 2020, but it was a different kind of pain.
”I had to take the right decision. I’m the last one who wants to retire, I’m so tired of it. I don’t want to do it but sometimes you have to do it.
”It’s the worst feeling ever but it’s the right thing to do because it’s not the last tournament I’m going to play in my life. I have to think about my future and my recovery.”
‘He’s built like a Ferrari’
Reacting to Berrettini’s latest injury back in the TNT Sports studio in Paris, Courier compared the Italian to one of the most famous car companies in the world.
”Poor Matteo, the guy has got such a powerhouse body for the sport,” Courier said. ”Monster forehand, monster serve, but sadly for him and this is just genetics, he’s built like a Ferrari.
”He’s in the shop a lot. Ferrari, when they run, might be the best car on the road but they’re often times broken down.
”When he’s at his best he’s one of the best but his body just can’t seem to hold up.”
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'He's built like a Ferrari' - Wilander and Courier react to Berrettini injury
Video credit: TNT Sports
TNT Sports expert Mats Wilander agreed, but also tipped Berrettini to make yet another comeback.
”Love for the sport hopefully brings him back but he has played a lot of tennis, and when you haven’t played that much these injuries can come up," Wilander said.
”But it’s such bad luck. We’ve missed him and I think he’ll be back.”
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