Matteo Berrettini won’t be defending his title at the 2025 Kitzbuhel Open after pulling out with an injury. That’s the second tournament in two weeks where he’s had to withdraw from defending a championship.
The Italian has become one of tennis’s most injury-prone players over the past few years.
It’s pretty frustrating when you think about it. Berrettini was just one match away from winning Wimbledon back in 2021. Since then, injuries keep stopping him from building on that incredible breakthrough.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matteo Berrettini | 29 | 630 | 5 - 2 |
A Promising Comeback Cut Short
Last March, Berrettini finally returned after six months on the sidelines. He’d been dealing with a nasty foot injury that started at the 2023 US Open.
The comeback looked really promising at first. Working with Francisco Roig – who used to be part of Rafael Nadal’s team – Berrettini found his groove on clay courts.
He won three clay court titles in 2024: Marrakech, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel.
That’s why it was so surprising when Berrettini and Roig split up in October, despite those impressive results.
The Latest Setback
Berrettini’s current injury problems started at home during the 2025 Italian Open in Rome. He was playing Casper Ruud when he had to retire in the second set with a right oblique injury.
That injury forced him to skip the French Open entirely.
He missed all the grass court warm-up tournaments before Wimbledon too. When he did come back for the Championships, something just didn’t look right.
Berrettini lost in five sets to Kamil Majchrzak – a match where his movement looked uncomfortable and he seemed to be playing through pain.
Maybe he rushed back too quickly? His previous success on grass probably made it tempting to return before he was fully ready.
A Pattern Emerges
Last week, Berrettini pulled out of the 2025 Swiss Open in Gstaad – another title he won last year.
The tournament confirmed it was due to injury, though Berrettini hasn’t gone into details publicly.
It’s probably safe to assume that oblique injury is still bothering him. Those kinds of core injuries can be really tricky to shake off completely.
Other Big Names Struggling
Berrettini isn’t the only former Grand Slam finalist having problems. Marin Cilic has also withdrawn from the Kitzbuhel Open.
The 2014 US Open champion had a solid run to the fourth round at Wimbledon, where he lost to Flavio Cobolli. But like Berrettini, he’s skipped the Swiss Open too.
At 36, Cilic’s dealing with ongoing knee issues. It makes sense that he’s being cautious about not overdoing things.
His withdrawal from two straight tournaments might mean he’s injured. Or maybe he’s just decided to skip the clay season entirely and focus on preparing for the hard court season in North America.
Zverev’s Personal Struggles
Alexander Zverev was another big name who pulled out of the Swiss Open, though his reasons were different. The tournament said it was due to personal reasons.
After losing in the first round at Wimbledon, the German admitted he’s been struggling mentally. He’s even considering seeing a therapist.
But there’s been some interesting speculation since then.
Rumors are swirling about a potential collaboration with Rafael Nadal and his uncle Toni Nadal. People started talking after Zverev was spotted working with Toni at the Rafael Nadal Academy.
That would be a pretty stunning partnership if it actually happens.
