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Tennis fans were left disheartened after seeing Matteo Berrettini's untimely retirement due to an injury he sustained during his second-round match at the 2023 US Open on Thursday.
Arthur Rinderknech advanced to the third round at Flushing Meadows after Berrettini retired due to a severe fall that resulted in an ankle twist. Rinderknech was leading 6-4, 5-3 when Berrettini suddenly collapsed on the court, clutching his ankle in pain. The medical team promptly rushed to his aid, assisting him in walking over to his bench.
In response to Matteo Berrettini's unfortunate injury, one fan took to social media to express their belief that a curse has befallen the US Open.
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"Now it's official: this year's the USO is cursed," a fan posted.
Another fan stated that Berrettini's injury was particularly unfortunate because he had only recently recovered from his previous injury and was starting to regain his level.
"Damn, he's only just been getting back to a better level after his last injury..." the fan posted.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
"The darkness seems to swallow you, you dig yourself an abyss" - Matteo Berrettini recently opened up on his physical and mental struggles with injuries
Injuries have forced Matteo Berrettini to have a stop-start 2023 season, but the Italian recently said the extended period spent on the sidelines has rekindled his passion for the sport.
Berrettini suffered an early exit at the Australian Open and subsequently endured a two-month hiatus due to injuries. He made his comeback at the Mexican Open but failed to achieve any noteworthy results in that or the subsequent events.
An abdominal injury then compelled Berrettini to withdraw from the Monte-Carlo Masters, just before his third-round match against Holger Rune.
Although his comeback in Stuttgart came to an end in the first round, Berrettini managed to string together a decent performance at Wimbledon. He defeated Lorenzo Sonego, Alex de Minaur and Alexander Zverev before losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
During an interview with Italian media outlet Corriere Della Sera, Matteo Berrettini talked about his experience of being engulfed in a "darkness" which ultimately led him to rediscover the sheer delight of being a tennis professional.
"Deep down, even when I feel exhausted, this [competing on the court] is one of the things that makes me alive. Not being able to do so, in important appointments, made me know the darkness. And the darkness seems to have no end, it seems to swallow you because instead of standing still and breathing, you dig yourself an abyss," Berrettini said.
"They were bad moments, which I did not like. But they were fundamental to make me rediscover the reasons for the joy of doing what I started as a child and that has occupied my whole life. I thought back to the origins to find myself. The darkness gave me the space to do it," he added.
