Matteo Berrettini expressed his frustration after an injury prematurely ended his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title at the 2026 French Open. The 30-year-old Italian faced fellow countryman Matteo Arnaldi in the quarter-finals, losing the first set and trailing 5-2 in the second when a hip issue forced him to retire.

Earlier in the match, Berrettini took a medical timeout, but as he chased a ball in what became the final game, he visibly struggled and sat dejectedly in his chair before shaking hands with Arnaldi at the net.

This retirement marks a continuation of Berrettini's injury woes since his 2021 Wimbledon final loss to Novak Djokovic. He reflected on his disappointment, stating, "It was really hard [to retire]... I'm tired of retiring. I didn't want the tournament to end like this."

Previously, Berrettini retired from a Grand Slam match at the 2023 US Open and faced injuries that curtailed his participation in the 2021 ATP Tour Finals and other tournaments leading up to Roland Garros. Despite these setbacks, he reached the quarter-finals at the French Open for the first time since 2021, showcasing resilience.

Ranked 105th, he noted, "I have to take the good stuff that I did in this tournament... a few weeks ago it would have been crazy to think about me in the quarter-finals."

Arnaldi, now the lowest-ranked male player to reach a French Open singles semi-final since Filip Dewulf in 1997, expressed sympathy for Berrettini, stating, "You never wish for someone to end the tournament like this. He did an amazing tournament. I hope he recovers because soon it is the grass, and he is going to be very tough to play."

Arnaldi will face 10th seed Flavio Cobolli on Friday for a spot in the final.