Berrettini retires hurt at Roland Garros QF, Arnaldi advances
Synopsis
A hip injury robbed Matteo Berrettini of his deepest Slam run since 2022, ending his Roland Garros quarter-final at 7-5, 5-2 down to compatriot Matteo Arnaldi. ‘I'm the last one that wants to retire,' the former Wimbledon finalist said, choosing long-term recovery over a body that has betrayed him too often.
Key Takeaways
Matteo Berrettini retired hurt in his Roland Garros quarter-final on 4 June , trailing Matteo Arnaldi 7-5, 5-2 .
It was Berrettini's first Grand Slam quarter-final since the 2022 US Open .
Arnaldi, ranked World No.
104 , became only the second man to win a Roland-Garros quarter-final by retirement in the Open era.
Berrettini will rise to No.
48 in the ATP Live Rankings from No.
105 entering the tournament.
The Italian is awaiting scans to assess the hip injury and recovery timeline.
Matteo Berrettini's Roland Garros campaign ended in heartbreak on 4 June in Paris, as the Italian was forced to retire midway through his quarter-final against compatriot Matteo Arnaldi due to a hip injury. Trailing 7-5, 5-2, the former Wimbledon finalist pulled the plug after exactly two hours of play, calling it ‘the worst feeling ever' but ‘the right thing to do'.
How the match unfolded
Berrettini lost a gruelling 76-minute opening set before leaving the court for a medical timeout trailing 2-1 in the second. A love hold briefly steadied him, and he battled on for three more games before conceding he had nothing left to give. The result made the 104th-ranked Arnaldi only the second man to win a Roland-Garros quarter-final by retirement in the Open era.
What Berrettini said
‘I'm the last one that wants to retire. I'm so tired of it. I just don't want to do it, but sometimes you have to do it,' Berrettini said, as quoted by the ATP tour. ‘A lot of players have done it in the past, and 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, and I have to think about my future. I have to think about my recovery.'
On the injury, the Italian added: ‘They told me that the area was really sore and really painful. So I just tried, but then the pain was too much, and I hope that I didn't do any serious damage. I just have to wait and see in the next days for the scans and everything to see what it is.'
A familiar setback
Injuries have repeatedly disrupted Berrettini's career since his run to the 2021 Wimbledon final. This was his first Grand Slam quarter-final since the 2022 US Open, and he entered the tournament ranked World No. 105. Despite the early exit, the run lifts him to No. 48 in the ATP Live Rankings — a meaningful jump for a player who once peaked at World No. 6.
What comes next
Berrettini now awaits scan results to determine the severity of the hip issue and his recovery timeline. ‘Hopefully it's nothing too bad. I'm obviously disappointed, but I think if I kept playing, I would have done way worse and probably the recovery time would have been longer,' he said. Arnaldi, meanwhile, moves into his first Grand Slam semi-final, capping a breakout fortnight at the clay-court major.
Point of View
The Italian has been a top-10 talent trapped in an injury cycle — abdominal, foot, hand, now hip — and each comeback narrative has been cut short by another scan. The honesty in his ‘I'm so tired of it' is the real story, not the scoreline. For tennis, losing a player of his power game to attrition rather than form is a structural loss the sport keeps absorbing.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Matteo Berrettini retire from the Roland Garros quarter-final?
Berrettini retired with a hip injury while trailing Matteo Arnaldi 7-5, 5-2 after exactly two hours of play. He said the pain became too severe to continue and he wanted to avoid risking longer-term damage.
Who is Matteo Arnaldi and why is his win significant?
Matteo Arnaldi is a 104th-ranked Italian player who advanced to his first Grand Slam semi-final via the retirement. He became only the second man to win a Roland-Garros quarter-final by retirement in the Open era.
When was Berrettini's last Grand Slam quarter-final before this?
This was Berrettini's first major quarter-final since the 2022 US Open. He entered Roland Garros ranked World No. 105 after a long stretch hampered by injuries.
What is Berrettini's new ATP ranking after Roland Garros?
Berrettini is projected to climb to No. 48 in the ATP Live Rankings, up from No. 105 entering the tournament. The former World No. 6 will now focus on recovery before assessing his next event.
What did Berrettini say about retiring mid-match?
‘I'm the last one that wants to retire. I'm so tired of it,' Berrettini said, as quoted by the ATP tour. He added that it was ‘the right thing to do' as he needed to protect his future career and recovery.
