Casper Ruud sends supportive message to Matteo Berrettini after his injury setback

Matteo Berrettini’s return to his home tournament ended in disappointment on Monday evening at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The Italian was forced to retire from his third-round match against Casper Ruud while trailing 7-5, 2-0. The decision came quickly after Berrettini began to feel discomfort, cutting short what had been a tightly contested opening set.

Ruud, who recently won in Madrid, expressed his concern for his opponent. “I feel so bad for Matteo. He keeps working hard, coming back… I just wish him all the best and just stay strong,” said the Norwegian. “He’s an unbelievable player. I hope he has a speedy recovery.” Ruud also wrote a message for Berrettini in the camera, signing “Sorry, Matteo. Feel better!”

With the win, Ruud moves on to face Spain’s Jaume Munar in the fourth round. Munar knocked out 22nd seed Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-2 earlier in the day. A win would take Ruud into the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters for the third time in his career.

Berrettini’s retirement marks yet another setback in a frustrating season marked by injuries. He had also withdrawn from his third-round match in Madrid against Jack Draper due to an abdominal issue. Rome was his first appearance at the tournament since 2021, and he had shown promise with a straight-sets win over Jacob Fearnley in the second round.

Matteo Berrettini had to retire during his match against Casper Ruud (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/SkySports)

Despite a strong first-serve performance, winning 79 percent of points behind it in the opening set, Berrettini opted not to risk worsening the issue. The 10-time ATP titlist will now assess the severity of the latest injury blow.

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Jannik Sinner also advances

Jannik Sinner continued his smooth return to the tour with another straight-sets victory, defeating Jesper de Jong 6-4, 6-2 to reach the fourth round. Playing his first tournament since early February, the Italian has now won all four sets he’s played this week.

Next up for Sinner is a rematch with Francisco Cerundolo, who eliminated him in Rome last year. Cerundolo arrives with momentum after a semi-final run in Madrid and a 6-2, 6-4 win over Sebastian Ofner on Monday. The two are tied 2-2 in their head-to-head.