World number 10 and 2019 US Open semifinalist Matteo Berrettini has withdrawn from the Miami Open, which start on Wednesday at the Hard Rock Stadium. Berrettini has made only one main draw apprearance in Miami in his career. He did not get through the Miami qualifying round in 2018, but he made his debut in the Florida Masters 1000 in 2019, when he lost to Hubert Hurkacz 6-4 6-3 in the first round.
Berrettini led Italy to the ATP Cup Final in Melbourne with straight set wins over Dominic Thiem, Gael Monfils and Roberto Bautista Agut. He lost to Danil Medvedev 6-4 6-2 in the final.
The 24-year-old Italian player suffered from an abdominal injury in the third round of the 2021 Australian Open against Karen Khachanov. Berrettini beat his Russian rival 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5), but he was forced to withdraw from the fourth round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas who received the walkover.
“I was really feeling well, not just obviously tennis-wise, but everything else on my mindset. I don’t know what happened. I felt here under my rib something that pulled, but the physio said that nothing was pulled. It could be some muscle that wasn’t working properly, but I was really feeling it when I was serving and obviously my mindset went a little bit away, because I was I was thinking about it. I was two sets up, I was playing good. I was feeling the momentum, then all of a sudden I felt this problem. I am really glad I could win the third set. Now I have to do a great job with my physio to get back on court in two days”, said Berrettini during the Australian Open.
Berrettini is the fifth top 10 player to pull out from the 2021 Miami Open after the withdrawals of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem. US Denis Kudla will take his place in the main draw. It will be the first Masters 1000 tournament after the 2004 Paris Bercy Masters to have the Big three missing.
