Lately, there are those who hypothesize that the Majorcan champion could hang up his racket after the next Roland Garros.
The highly anticipated Italian Internationals did not start under the best auspices. It was supposed to be an opportunity for the Italian public to once again embrace – and support – their favorite Jannik Sinner, who became world number 2 after a dream first part of the season, during which he brought home the first Slam title of his career , the Australian Open. The South Tyrolean tennis player, however, was forced to withdraw.
A hip problem that has continued since the Monte Carlo tournament, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-final, prevented him from taking part in the Roman Masters 1000. His announcement last Sunday took his fans by surprise who couldn’t wait to see him at work on the clay courts of the Foro Italico. Two days instead it was the turn of Matteo Berrettini, another of the most anticipated. The Roman hammer had initially denied the hypothesis of a withdrawal – he should have made his debut with his compatriot Napolitano – but in the end he too had to surrender. In the press conference called last Wednesday, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist said he was not ready. In short, he didn’t feel like taking the field after an annoying tonsillitis that prevented him from training in recent weeks.
Breaking news, Gauff can’t get over it: “It’s strange to accept it”
The fear of a new injury, therefore, took over. In addition to Berrettini and Sinner, the other absentee is Carlos Alcaraz, rising star of world tennis and current number three in the world.
It’s up to veterans Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, this being the case, take the stage. The spotlight is focused above all on the Majorcan champion, who could play his last matches before hanging up his racket. There are those who hypothesize that Nadal will decide to end his career at the next Roland Garros. And the big ceremony they organized for him last week in Madrid seems to confirm this thesis.
A farewell that many people, not just tennis lovers, will certainly find hard to digest. Among these there is also the American tennis player Coco Gauff, seeded number 3 in Rome. “It’s strange to accept this because for most of my life I’ve watched him win at Roland Garros, I guess he’s going through a delicate moment – Gauff said during Media Day – I was in Madrid and there it didn’t seem like he was retiring, with the next ceremony I wondered if this was real life or not. I’m sad because he is one of my favorite players, I admire his mentality and his intensity.”
This content was modified 9 May 2024 16:08
