WIMBLEDON, England — Matteo Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up, has pulled out of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament after testing positive for COVID-19.
The All England Club announced Berrettini’s withdrawal and he posted about it on Instagram, saying he was “heartbroken” to have to withdraw.
“Despite symptoms not being severe, I decided it was important to take another test this morning to protect the health and safety of my fellow competitors and everyone else involved in the tournament,” he wrote. “I have no words to describe the extreme disappointed I feel. The dream is over for this year, but I will be back stronger.”
The eighth-seeded Italian was supposed to play Cristian Garín in the first round on Tuesday.
Berrettini is being replaced in the field by Elias Ymer, who lost in qualifying.
On Monday, Marin Cilic also had to withdraw from Wimbledon because he tested positive for COVID-19.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.