Cobolli reaches French Open semi-finals and faces compatriot Arnaldi

By reaching the last four, Cobolli continued his sporting ascent and simultaneously created a novelty in the history of the clay court classic. For the first time ever, three Italian players are in the quarter-final matches of a Grand Slam, and for the first time, an Italian finalist in Paris is guaranteed. Cobolli explained after the match that he had tried to remain patient and wait for his chances.

Arnaldi benefits from Berrettini's retirement

His opponent in the semi-finals, Matteo Arnaldi, benefited from Matteo Berrettini's retirement on the same court late in the afternoon. At 7:5 and 5:2 in favor of Arnaldi, the 30-year-old Berrettini, ATP-105 and 2021 Wimbledon finalist, ended the match due to an injury to his left thigh. He had already received medical treatment in the second set. The match lasted a total of two hours, with the first set alone lasting 76 minutes.

Arnaldi, 25 years old and also standing in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam on his home turf, thus reached his first semi-final at one of the four major tournaments. He said afterwards that he had tried to stick to his game and not let his opponent's injury break disrupt his rhythm.

The Cobolli vs. Arnaldi duel will take place on Friday and will be broadcast live on SRF. Regardless of the outcome, the first finalist for Italy in Roland Garros is already secured. The head-to-head record between the players is considered open before the match, as both professionals have only played a few encounters on the pro tour so far.

Italian Tennis at its Peak

The advance to the semi-finals comes at a time when the Italian men's tennis scene is performing particularly strongly. World number one Jannik Sinner, eliminated in the second round after a dramatic physical collapse, and Lorenzo Musetti, who had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury while ranked 11th in the world, could not compete for the title in Paris themselves. This makes Cobolli, Arnaldi, and the injured Berrettini even more prominent.

For Auger-Aliassime, who is returning to the top four in the world after his semi-final appearance at Roland Garros last year, his Paris adventure ended in the quarter-finals despite a strong performance. The Canadian had won the first set but then increasingly lost control of the game. Cobolli visibly improved as the match progressed and confidently held his service games in the crucial phases.

Berrettini, a Wimbledon finalist in 2021, left Court Philippe-Chatrier with a bandaged thigh and visibly composed. He explained that he had tried to continue playing in the second set, but the pain had become too great to finish the match meaningfully. He did not want to give a prognosis for the coming weeks yet.

Outlook for Friday's Semi-final

Friday's semi-final match promises to be historic from an Italian perspective: whoever reaches Sunday's final will be the first player from their country ever to reach the French Open final. Cobolli enters the match as the higher-ranked player, but Arnaldi has the momentum on his side due to his last-minute advance to the semi-finals.

At Roland Garros, Italian tennis will thus become the defining theme of the second week of the tournament. Spectators on Court Philippe-Chatrier can look forward to a semi-final that has never taken place in this configuration before and in which both players are competing for the greatest success of their careers to date.