Flavio Cobolli might have fallen short in the 2026 BMW Open final, but the Italian tennis star didn’t let the loss beat his sense of humor. Following a tough straight-sets defeat to Ben Shelton in Munich, instead of leaning into the usual cliches, he decided to playfully pin the blame on his girlfriend, who was supposed to be his good luck charm.
Flavio Cobolli Jokingly Banishes Girlfriend From Matches After Munich Loss
At the BMW Open, Cobolli had put together a brilliant run, defeating world No. 3 Alexander Zverev in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 to reach the final. Playing in front of a heavily pro-Zverev German crowd, Cobolli managed to completely grind down the defending BMW Open champion, who later candidly admitted to the press that he had “no legs left.”
He was hoping to secure his fourth career title after previous triumphs in Bucharest and Hamburg. However, Shelton overpowered the Italian 6-2, 7-5 to claim the championship, a milestone for the American, marking his second ATP 500 title of 2026 and his fifth career title overall.
After the match, Cobolli had a deadpan joke at the expense of his long-time girlfriend, Matilde Galli, who watched from the stands.
“I called yesterday my girlfriend. I said, ‘Please don’t let me lose,’ but she does so… maybe next time you stay home,” he said, while Galli was seen laughing.
While Galli was suddenly thrust into the spotlight, she usually prefers to keep a very low profile. The couple made their relationship public around 2021 but have kept their private life out of the media, aside from sharing a few off-season vacation posts, such as a recent trip to Tanzania. Galli has been a constant presence in the player box of the world No. 13 during major tournaments, including the Italian Open and Wimbledon.
Meanwhile, Shelton’s triumph ended a 24-year drought for American men winning a clay-court title above the ATP 250 level, avenging his own loss at the same event last year. For the 23-year-old, this will be a boost ahead of more European clay court tournaments. Along with securing 500 ATP ranking points, Shelton walked away with a €478,935 top prize and a brand-new, all-electric BMW iX3.
Next up, both are packing their bags for the Madrid Open. The Masters 1000 event in the Spanish capital has already seen its draw shaken up, with both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic (plus recent drops from Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, and Holger Rune) withdrawing at the last minute due to injuries.
After the Monte-Carlo victory against Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, the definitive favorite, will be the top seed, with Zverev taking the second seed and Casper Ruud returning as the defending champion. Ruud captured his maiden Masters 1000 title here in 2025 and is also a threat for the rest of the tour on the dirt.
