Italian tennis took a hit before the first ball dropped at the 2026 Australian Open when Matteo Berrettini announced his withdrawal from the tournament due to an undisclosed illness.
See you in 2027, Matteođź’™ pic.twitter.com/iLjunRAFf7
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2026
Berrettini was expected to face Australian Alex de Minaur in a first round match that fans could not wait to see. De Minaur will now face lucky loser Mackenzie McDonald.
In recent years, Berrettini has had many stops and starts in his promising career from injuries.
The 29 year old native of Rome is best known for his 2021 Wimbledon final appearance when he lost in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
However, his game has excelled on other surfaces besides the All England grass. He is a former French Open quarterfinalist (2021), US Open semifinalist (2019), and Australian Open semifinalist (2022).
Before Jannik Sinner came on the scene, Berrettini was Italy’s most promising rising tennis star.
He has 10 ATP titles and was part of Italy’s Davis Cup victories in 2024 and 2025.
Other Australian Open News
Injury concerns have followed Joao Fonseca (back) and Novak Djokovic (neck) as neither has played any competitive tennis yet in the 2026 season.
For now, both are set to go, and fans could not be more excited to see them.
Fans are also excited to see former champion Stan Wawrinka and French tennis legend Gael Monfils as both make their final appearances at the Australian Open. It will be an emotional year for both players who have announced 2026 is their last year on the ATP Tour.
ESPN has the US broadcasting rights to this year’s Australian Open and in most areas, ESPN2 will be the hub to watch live matches beginning Saturday evening (EST), January 17.
ESPN announces commentator lineup for the 2026 #AusOpen – with @malika_andrews joining the team
Details: https://t.co/Mw3xu4WYch pic.twitter.com/y8aPJH6lQA
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) January 6, 2026
The network made news earlier in the month by shaking up the broadcast team with Brad Gilbert and Pam Shriver no longer part of the team. Longtime studio host Chris McKendry is moving to the booth to call matches, and ESPN’s basketball host Malika Andrews will slide into McKendry’s role. As of Friday night, Andrews was still working her NBA role so it is unclear when she will be making the trek Down Under.
