Matteo Berrettini’s threat to sue umpire sends shockwaves at Wimbledon

Heightened tensions and concerns arise as Berrettini's threat to sue umpire puts player safety in the spotlight at Wimbledon.

Matteo Berrettini’s threat to sue umpire sends shockwaves at Wimbledon

Matteo Berrettini (Credit: The Irish Sun)

A furious Matteo Berrettini threatened the chair umpire on the second day of Wimbledon in his first-round match against fellow Italian player Lorenzo Sonego after slipping on the court multiple times. The match had been suspended on the first day due to the rain, which made the court very slippery. On the second day of the match, the weather continued to be bad, and both players slipped multiple times while playing.

The former World No. 6 was leading with two sets when the ground turned slippery again due to the bad weather. Both the players desired for the game to be stopped, as the conditions were not apt for playing, but the fourth set of the match began anyway. That is when Berrettini lost his temper and threatened the umpire that he will sue him if he gets injured.

https://youtu.be/PXz8Y-1SYio

“We never fell, we started to fall right now. Why do you think it’s happening? Okay, so if I’m going to get injured, I’m going to sue you, okay?,” protested Berrettini. Even after Berrettini’s threat to take legal action against the umpire, they were made to play on. The match was finally called to a halt after Sonego slipped once again while playing. The entire situation created a lot of tension between the players and the organizers, as they were already quite behind their schedule.

“I know that you want us to play. You guys are late, we are late, we want to play as well. But I mean, if we’re falling every time, it’s dangerous,” stated Berrettini. Finally, the match got suspended for the final time and was declared to be continued on the third day. Eventually, Berrettini won the match and will face now Alex de Minaur in the second round.

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A rough year for Matteo Berrettini so far

Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini (Credit: Australian Open)

The former World No. 6 who is currently out of the top 30 hadn’t had a good year due to persistent injuries and issues. The Italian started the year by reaching the finals of the United Cup but losing to American player Taylor Fritz. He got ousted in the first round of the Australian Open, where he had a thrilling 5-hour match against Andy Murray.

The Italian managed to reach the quarter-finals of the Mexican Open but retired to Holger Rune. He subsequently skipped the Italian Open and the French Open. His decision to withdraw from the 2023 Roland Garros was driven by careful consideration of his physical health and match fitness. He unfortunately also withdrew from the Queen’s Cup, stating an abdominal issue. When he finally participated in the Stuttgart Open, he lost to none other than Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets.

Although his recent victory over the fellow Italian in what seemed to be a never-ending match due to the bad weather might have given him some confidence. He is set to face Australian player, Alex de Minaur in his second round today.

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