Former Wimbledon finalist confirms he has withdrawn from the French Open after making ‘difficult decision’

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The French Open has now arrived, with qualifying for the latest Grand Slam of 2025 currently underway.

Carlos Alcaraz has been backed to win the French Open, with the Spaniard having just won the Italian Open.

He defeated Jannik Sinner in the final in Rome, with the Italian having won the first Grand Slam of the season.

ATP number one Sinner won the Australian Open in January, defeating Alexander Zverev in the final in Melbourne.

Zverev also lost the 2024 French Open final, where he was defeated by Alcaraz, with the German having finished as runner-up in all three of his Grand Slam finals.

Matteo Berrettini makes ‘difficult decision’ to withdraw from French Open

Another player who has experienced such Grand Slam heartache is Matteo Berrettini, who lost the 2021 Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic.

And the Italian has now suffered more disappointment ahead of the French Open, having made the difficult decision to withdraw from the tournament.

READ MORE: Men’s French Open 2025 preview: how to watch, top players and prize money

Sharing an update on social media, Berrettini wrote on Instagram: “Ciao everyone, I unfortunately had to make the very difficult decision to withdraw from Roland Garros.

“I just ran out of time to feel 100% ready to compete at the level that is needed. I’m looking forward to competing on grass and am already preparing with my team. I’m very appreciative of the support I feel from you all and can’t wait to be back out on the court.”

How did Matteo Berrettini do at the Italian Open right before the French Open?

Berrettini enjoyed a superb run at the All England Club in 2021, which was ended only by legendary figure Djokovic.

The Serbian battled it out with the Italian on the London grass, where he came from behind to win 6-7(4-7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

READ MORE: He was the first American man to ever win the French Open and ended up being champion at every Grand Slam

Djokovic is currently playing in Geneva to prepare for the French Open, having decided to skip the Italian Open.

World number 28 Berrettini did play at the Italian Open, but retired hurt during his round of 32 meeting with Casper Ruud.

The 29-year-old was the 29th seed on home soil in Rome, but called time against sixth seed Ruud while losing 5-7, 0-2.

The walkover came after Berrettini defeated Jacob Fearnley in his opener, having also lost his doubles opener alongside his brother Jacopo Berrettini.

Matteo Berrettini rose two spots in the latest ATP rankings, and currently has a 13-10 win-loss record for the season.

The Italian has won 10 times throughout his career, with three wins in 2024 – Kitzbuhel, Gstaad and Marrakech – having all arrived on clay.