Covid-hit Berrettini pulls out of Wimbledon

Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini was forced to pull out of Wimbledon on Tuesday after testing positive for coronavirus as Serena Williams prepared to return to singles tennis after a year away.

The early action at the All England Club on Tuesday was overshadowed by the announcement from Berrettini - last year's runner-up - that he was out of the event. "I am heartbroken to announce that I need to withdraw from @wimbledon due to a positive Covid-19 test result," the 26-year-old Italian wrote on Instagram.

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Berrettini was widely regarded as one of the biggest threats to defending champion Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, having captured back-to-back grass-court titles in Stuttgart and Queen's.

He is the second man to withdraw from Wimbledon with Covid in two days after 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic of Croatia also tested positive. "I have no words to describe the extreme disappointment I feel," eighth-seed Berrettini said in his statement. "The dream is over for this year, but I will be back stronger."

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