’21 runner-up Berrettini out with COVID-19

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND » Matteo Berrettini, last year’s runner-up at Wimbledon, dropped out of the grasscourt Grand Slam tournament hours before he was scheduled to play his firstround match Tuesday, saying that he tested positive for COVID-19.

The eighth-seeded Berrettini became the second highprofile player to pull out of the men’s draw within the first two days because of the illness caused by the coronavirus, joining 2014 U.S. Open champion and 2017 Wimbledon finalist Marin Cilic, who was seeded 14th.

Players are not required by the tournament to get checked for COVID-19 this year; both Berrettini and Cilic said they got tested because they wanted to after having symptoms.

An All England Club spokesperson did not respond to questions about what the level of concern is about COVID-19 at the event or whether additional measures were being taken to prevent spread of the virus, but did say in an email that organizers have been working with the British public health agency and local authorities.

After being canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, then setting up a bubble-type environment and restricting attendance in 2021 to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Wimbledon has returned to normal in every way, with no mask-wearing requirement, full crowds and the famous Queue back in action.

“For the most part, I feel like it’s OK that players are doing it themselves. I mean, I feel like that’s the regulations in the government now: If you feel symptoms, test. That’s what I would do if I felt any COVID symptoms; I would test,” said 18-year-old American Coco Gauff, the runner-up at the French Open this month.

“I think it’s also good now that we don’t have to test every day or every other day. I don’t want to go back to that. Not being scared to be tested, but it’s also a hassle,” said Gauff, who won her firstround match Tuesday. “With the vaccines and everything, we kind of know that the viral load is low and it’s very hard to transfer if you’re a vaccinated individual.”

Berrettini spent time practicing with 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal on Centre Court last week and also crossed paths there with Novak Djokovic, who beat Berrettini in last year’s final at Wimbledon.

After winning his firstround match Tuesday, Nadal did not sound too concerned.

“Difficult to be a close contact when you are outside, when you are practicing . ... For the moment I am feeling great, no problems at all,” Nadal said. “Main thing is I feel very sorry for him because he was playing fantastic.”