WATCH: Fans horrified as Matteo Berrettini screams in pain on US Open court

James Richardson 01 Sep 2023 3:03 PM

Matteo Berrettini plays a shot

Fans have questioned the speed of the medical response to Matteo Berrettini’s injury during his second round match against Arthur Rinderknech at the US Open.

Horrific video clips show a prone Berrettini writhing in pain on the court before US Open medics arrive and the player was shielded from the crowd.

Berrettini left the court in a wheelchair after he appeared to twist his ankle in a nasty fall during his match with the Frenchman.

The Italian has had a dreadful year marred by a succession of largely unrelated injuries.

His opponent came across to check on Berrettini before the medics had arrived which has drawn criticism.

It took a few minutes for a doctor to arrive on court to see to the injured Italian.

The terrible fall of Matteo #Berrettini 😭 pic.twitter.com/q9Z8EDGU8m

— Seemann 1978 (@1978Seemann) August 31, 2023

Berrettini is heard letting out a blood-curdling scream while lying on the ground and it is clear that he was in tremendous pain.

https://twitter.com/heythereokayyas/status/1697332193821933849

Berrettini had opened up on the impact of his injuries earlier this year during a run to the second week of Wimbledon.

“I spent many days in my bed crying about not being able to play so five days in a row, it’s nothing. You know, like it’s easy to play,” he said.

“I missed playing, I missed competing. The people that are close to me, they know about it so it’s so special.”

He has admitted that the mental iimpact of injuries can be the biggest burden to bear.

“Yeah, it’s a matter of many people that are around you, your family, your team, yourself mostly. It’s something that hits you sometimes. We have a weird, weird schedule, weird career, which you never really going to stop.

“I remember I pulled out from here [Wimbledon]. I was like a week home, the house that I rented. Then I was, Okay, I’m going to practice on clay because I want to play in Gstaad. You don’t actually have the time to really think about it. I remember I was really sad.

“When I was injured at the end of the year, it got me again. I stopped and realized I missed a slam again.

“Many people helped me. At the end I think has to be something from yourself inside when you’re tired of being sad, you’re going to do something about it.”

Berrettini’s injury woes began just as it seemed he was about to build on his run to the Wimbledon final in 2021.

Instead he has faced time on the shelf which has brought with it some intense and unwarranted criticism from figures in Italian tennis.