Matteo Arnaldi had to withdraw before the all-Italian semifinal at Roland Garros, just before the players were scheduled to take to Court Philippe-Chatrier. Having battled his way through two weeks in Paris to reach his maiden Grand Slam semifinal, the Italian’s body gave out to a severe virus. For Flavio Cobolli, his opponent and close friend, who will now advance to his first major final, the news came as a shock as well.
‘I Was Completely Sad for Him’: Flavio Cobolli’s Emotional Reaction to Matteo Arnaldi’s French Open Semifinal Withdrawal
Arnaldi experienced a difficult night ahead of Friday, as he woke up with stomach pains at 1:00 a.m., began vomiting, and was unable to sleep. By morning, he had a fever and felt dizzy, leaving him physically unable to compete in the afternoon match. The medical team and Arnaldi had spent the morning desperately hoping his condition would improve, but to no avail.
While players occasionally withdraw from smaller tour events due to injury or fatigue, abandoning a Grand Slam semifinal is incredibly rare and a first for the Italian.
However, before tournament officials formally announced the withdrawal, Arnaldi approached his friend, Cobolli, directly in the locker room approximately an hour before they were scheduled to walk out onto Philippe-Chatrier.
Addressing the media shortly after tournament officials formally announced the cancellation, a visibly moved Cobolli said: “It’s also tough for me to speak now. When he came to me almost one hour ago, I almost cried. It’s something that you don’t expect at all.”
“I was ready to play this match, and when he came, I was completely sad for him. But at the same time, of course, I’m really happy for the result that I reached this week,” Cobolli added, with the silver lining that he could advance to play his first-ever Grand Slam final.
KEEP READING: Why Has Matteo Arnaldi Abandoned French Open Semifinal Against Flavio Cobolli? All To Know
Because of the walkover, Cobolli now has an unexpected two days of rest before Sunday’s final. Waiting for him there is Alexander Zverev. In the other semifinal on Friday, the world No. 3 defeated Jakub Menšík in a four-set battle, winning 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Going into the championship match, Zverev is the overwhelming favorite. The German has 24 ATP titles but has yet to win a major. This is his second French Open final after 2024, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a tight five-set match.
