The US Open is just around the corner. Excitement is rising—and so are the tough times for players. After nearly seven months of back-to-back competition, the grind is showing. This is a physically testing moment for many. Some are coming back from injury. Others are feeling the strain of endless travel. It doesn’t get any easier. Already, a few players have withdrawn from New York. And now, there’s another exit that has left fans particularly disheartened.

On August 14, Entry Lists Updates on X shared the latest on the players set to compete at Arthur Ashe Stadium starting August 24. Their update: Matteo Berrettini is out of the US Open. Brandon Holt steps in, freeing up a wildcard spot for the tournament. Filip Misolic is next on the entry list as the draw keeps shifting.

Tennis journalist Jose Morgado summed it up best. Replying to the tweet with a simple “😢😢,” he captured the heartbreak of seeing the Italian pull out.

Matteo Berrettini reached the US Open semi-finals in 2019, defeating five opponents before falling to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets after a strong fight. He followed that with quarter-final runs in 2021 and 2022, losing to Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud, respectively, but suffered early exits in the last two editions against Arthur Rinderknech and Taylor Fritz.

The Italian hasn’t had the best season in 2025. His record stands at a modest 13-11, and he’s dropped to world No. 59. His most recent outing was a first-round exit at Wimbledon in late June, another low point in a year plagued by physical setbacks. Fans aren’t taking this latest news well, and their disappointment is loud.

Fans left shattered from Matteo’s absence

One fan put it plainly: “I’m very sorry for Berrettini. Such talent, and yet so injury-prone.” Matteo Berrettini’s 2025 season has been all about persistent injuries. He battled abdominal pain that forced him out of his Madrid match against Jack Draper. Then he retired in Rome against Casper Ruud with a right oblique injury.

Those blows led him to withdraw from Roland Garros just before the draw. He then skipped the Canadian Open, Cincinnati, and now the US Open. Each time, he said he hadn’t recovered enough and couldn’t compete at his best. The result? A list of missed tournaments and growing frustration for Berrettini and his fans. As another fan put it, “so sad for him.”

Another user wrote, “[Translated from Japanese] Berrettini cancels US Open. Haven’t seen him lately, so sad 😢.” This year has been the toughest storm Berrettini has faced. Once a player to watch out for, he stood at No. 6 in the rankings back in 2022. He’s won 10 career titles, with his last coming in 2024 at Kitzbühel, after lifting trophies at Gstaad and Marrakech.

At Grand Slams, he’s had a mix of deep runs and heartbreaks due to injury. His career high came with a Wimbledon final in 2021. He’s also made the US Open semifinals (2019), Australian Open semifinals (2022), and French Open quarterfinals (2021). But in the past two seasons, luck has been scarce. One fan nailed it: “legit a dark horse in the us open sucks to see bc when hes in form hes easily a top 10 player no question.”

But Berrettini isn’t the only one missing. Grigor Dimitrov, Qinwen Zheng, and Hubert Hurkacz have also pulled out of New York this year. That prompted one fan to ask a tough question: “There are some more injury players in the entry list. Are they going to play some points to get the prize money or will they just withdraw when the qualifying draw comes out? 😩”

It’s a hot topic in tennis right now. Even players like Novak Djokovic, Taylor Townsend, and Taylor Fritz have spoken out about the grinding schedule. Back-to-back tournaments mean little time off. The stress is real. What’s your take? Drop your thoughts below!