A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the Australian Open campaign of Italian star Matteo Berrettini, casting serious doubt on his highly anticipated first-round clash with local hope Alex de Minaur.
Exhibition Match Cut Short by Mystery Illness
The former Wimbledon finalist and world No. 56 was forced into an early retirement during an exhibition event at Melbourne Park on Friday night, sparking immediate concerns. Berrettini had played just one match at the Red Bull Bassline event against Norway's Nicolai Budkov Kjaer before pulling the plug due to illness.
This latest health scare compounds a torrid run of fitness troubles for the 30-year-old, who endured an injury-ravaged 2023 season. His recent history includes a second-round exit at last year's Australian Open, followed by a retirement from the Italian Open with an oblique injury. That same issue subsequently flared up, forcing him to withdraw from both the French Open and the US Open.
A History of Grand Slam Absences
Berrettini's career has been repeatedly interrupted by physical setbacks. He has now missed seven Grand Slam tournaments in the past four years, a significant hurdle for a player once ranked as high as No. 6 in the world. His resilience was on display late last year, however, when he returned in time to play a pivotal role in Italy's triumphant Davis Cup campaign in November.
Slated to face the No. 10 seed de Minaur on Monday, Berrettini's preparation has hit a major speed bump. The Italian does hold a 3-2 head-to-head advantage over the Australian, including a run to the Australian Open semi-finals in 2022. Notably, both of de Minaur's victories in their rivalry have come on hard courts, the surface for their upcoming match.
De Minaur's Daunting Path at Home Slam
For Alex de Minaur, the challenge of Berrettini is just the beginning of what looks like a nightmare draw at his home Grand Slam, where he enters with his highest-ever seeding. Should he advance, he would face either Argentina's Mariano Navone (world No. 74) or Serbia's Hamad Medjedovic (world No. 96).
The path gets significantly tougher from there, with a likely third-round encounter against American 29th seed Frances Tiafoe. Potential fourth-round and quarter-final opponents loom as grand slam nemesis Alexander Bublik and the top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, respectively.
Speaking about the draw on Friday, de Minaur acknowledged the difficulty. "Ultimately, every single player in the draw is extremely tough," he said. "I knew going in that there were going to be many unseeded players which were going to be really tough match-ups. It's going to be a battle, but I'm looking forward to it. It basically just means that I'm going to have to be firing from the word go."
Regarding Berrettini, de Minaur added, "We've had some good matches in the past. Yeah, hopefully I'll be ready for it." The tennis world now waits to see if Berrettini will be fit enough to compete in what promises to be a blockbuster opening-round encounter.
