Carlos Alcaraz is through to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters 1000 without hitting a ball. Matteo Berrettini, his scheduled opponent in the round of 16 on Thursday, withdrew from the tournament with a right-arm problem, handing the world No. 3 a walkover into the last eight, elcorreo.com reported.
Berrettini, 30 and ranked No. 43, had been in strong form at the indoor event, beating Brandon Nakashima and Ugo Humbert to set up a fifth career meeting with Alcaraz. But he announced on social media that lingering pain would keep him off the court. “Unfortunately, the arm pain I have been carrying for a few days will not allow me to play tonight,” he wrote, adding that he would undergo medical tests in the coming days to determine the cause. El País confirmed the withdrawal and noted that Berrettini had reached the quarterfinals in Vienna the previous week.
Alcaraz matches his best Paris run
The walkover moves Alcaraz level with his best result at the Rolex Paris Masters, the quarterfinals he reached in 2022. That year, a right-leg injury forced him to retire against Holger Rune, ending his season and causing him to miss the 2023 Australian Open. Since then, his Paris results have been brief: a round-of-16 loss to Humbert in 2024 and a first-round defeat to Cameron Norrie in 2025, according to elpais.com.
Alcaraz, the reigning Vienna champion, had already beaten Alex Michelsen 7-6(4), 6-3 in 1 hour 41 minutes on Wednesday. With Berrettini out, he gains a full day of rest before Friday’s quarterfinal at 19:00 local time against Taylor Fritz, who defeated home favorite Arthur Fils 6-3, 6-4.
Fritz brings momentum and a serve that travels
Fritz, who beat Fils with 14 aces and did not face a single break point, arrives in the quarterfinals in ascending form. The American and Alcaraz last met at last month’s Laver Cup, also on indoor hard courts, where Alcaraz prevailed in three sets. Their head-to-head record stands at 6-1 in Alcaraz’s favor, elpais.com reported.
Berrettini’s season ends without Davis Cup
The former Wimbledon finalist and two-time Queen’s champion had climbed back into the top 50, but he was not selected for Italy’s Davis Cup team that will defend its title in Bologna later this month, with captain Filippo Volandri opting for Luciano Darderi instead, elpais.com reported. Berrettini’s only career win over Alcaraz came at the 2021 Australian Open.
Earlier coverage: Carlos Alcaraz Advances to París Masters Quarterfinals as Berrettini Withdraws with Elbow Injury
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