Flavio Cobolli has advanced to the final of the 2026 French Open, but the feat came with mixed emotions as his opponent, fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi, was forced to withdraw shortly before their highly anticipated semifinal clash. However, it was the scenes that followed Arnaldi’s withdrawal that caught Andy Roddick’s attention, as he questioned the decision to have Cobolli address the media alongside his compatriot.
Andy Roddick Calls Out Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi’s Joint French Open Move
After Arnaldi made the decision to pull out of the clay-court Major and conceded his semifinal match, he arrived at the press room to address the media. Cobolli joined his compatriot at the desk, sitting a short distance away.
During the press conference, Arnaldi spoke candidly about his struggle with stomach issues, revealing that he believed he had contracted a virus. He explained that the illness left him unable to eat, sleep, or even move in the lead-up to the match.
“I have no idea. To be honest, I think it’s a virus because I was feeling pretty cold. I think I had a fever during the day. I don’t know, to be honest. I just know that I can’t move, and I can’t eat, and I can’t drink. There was really no way that I would be able to play,” Arnaldi said.
Given the apparent viral illness plaguing Arnaldi, Andy Roddick suggested that Cobolli and his compatriot were seated “too close” during the press conference despite the distance between them.
“They were a little too close during the press conference, by the way,” he said. ” I mean, they weren’t close. They were 10 or 12 feet apart.”
MORE: Why Has Matteo Arnaldi Abandoned French Open Semifinal Against Flavio Cobolli? All To Know
Roddick emphasized that, if he were in Cobolli’s shoes, he would have categorically refused to be in the same room as Arnaldi to avoid the risk of jeopardizing the French Open final.
“I get him having to like speak to it a little bit. Maybe it just means Cobolli’s like relaxed. I don’t know. But I would be a psychopath. I would be like, “Brother, I love you. I’ll see you in a week. I’ll see you at the next tournament. I’d love to take you to dinner. This sucks. It’s on me. I feel bad for you. Don’t be in the same room as me.” Like it’s very simple,” he said. “So them doing a press conference together when the guys like, “Yeah, I had a fever. I might have one now.” I’m like, you guys need to separate.”
At the same time, the former world No. 1 sympathized with Arnaldi over the unfortunate circumstances, saying, “I feel terribly for him. I mean, I hope that he plays a million semifinals. I hope this isn’t the only opportunity he gets to play semifinal in Grand Slam and this is how it goes down.”
After Matteo Arnaldi’s withdrawal sent Flavio Cobolli into his maiden Grand Slam final, the No. 10 seed will lock horns with No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev in the title clash at the French Open. Zverev secured a 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Jakub Menšík in the semifinals to reach his second Roland Garros final.
