WATCH: Casper Ruud consoles teary-eyed Matteo Berrettini after his emotional mid-match retirement at Italian Open

Casper Ruud endearingly consoled his ATP Tour colleague and rival Matteo Berrettini following the latter's mid-match retirement from the pair's third-round clash at the 2025 Italian Open. The Norwegian also penned a heartfelt message for the Italian later on the courtside camera. This year's edition of the Italian Open marked Berrettini's first appearance at the tournament since 2021.

On Monday, May 12, Ruud and Berrettini clashed in Rome for a place in the fourth round of the prestigious Masters 1000 claycourt event. The Norwegian, who recently became the new Madrid Open champion, won the first set 7-5. The No. 6 seed in Rome also started the second set on the front foot, opening up a 2-0 lead over the Italian. Here, Berrettini chose to retire after he started feeling the effects an abdominal injury.

Clearly upset at the way the tournament in the city of his birth turned out, Matteo Berrettini became tearful. Casper Ruud though, stepped up and showed his class, as he consoled his injury-stricken colleague and rival with a warm embrace and words of encouragement.

Watch the moment unfold below:

After a short while, Ruud wrote on the courtside camera:

"Sorry Matteo Feel Better!"

In the aftermath of the contest's unfortunate conclusion, the three-time Major runner-up laid bare his feelings on Berrettini's mid-match retirement.

"Matteo Berrettini's worked hard to come back and now he gets another setback" - Casper Ruud on Italian's latest injury blow

Casper Ruud (Source: Getty)

Matteo Berrettini achieved his career-high ranking of World No. 6 in 2022. The year before, he reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships. However, from 2023 onwards, multiple injuries stalled the Italian's progress.

Berrettini though, has shown signs of resurgence since making his comeback last year, which is why his mid-match retirement at the 2025 Italian Open is bound to sting even more, as he possibly faces another spell on the sidelines. Following his win over the Italian in Rome, Casper Ruud empathized with the current No. 30's situation.

"I feel so bad for him because this is where he’s from, his home Masters 1000. I know he hasn’t played since 2021 because of other injuries. I know he’s worked hard to come back and now he gets another setback. I hope it’s not a long thing for him. I hope he can fix it soon and have a speedy recover. He’s a hell of a player," Ruud said.

Only time will tell how long Berrettini's abdominal injury takes to heal. Meanwhile, Ruud's next challenge in the Italian capital is to get past an in-form Jaume Munar in the fourth round. Munar has so far ousted two American ATP stars from the 2025 Italian Open; Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda.