Alexander Zverev gives his opinion on Matteo Arnaldi withdrawing from the Roland Garros semi-finals
Matteo Arnaldi’s shock withdrawal from Roland Garros has given his compatriot, Flavio Cobolli, direct entry into the final of the Grand Slam.
While Alexander Zverev had to battle it out with Jakun Mensik across a competitive four sets, Cobolli has earned his place in the final without even playing.
Zverev will begin the final as the favourite as he currently sits seven places above the Italian in the ATP Tour rankings, but Cobolli’s freshness could be pivotal in their match.
However, Zverev does not feel that Cobolli will have the advantage due to not playing a semi-final.
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Asked if Cobolli not having to play his semi-final might give him an advantage, Zverev responded: “Not really because I feel fine. I didn’t have brutally long matches. I honestly feel like I could play again now. So, not really.”
Zverev was just as saddened as everyone else by Arnaldi’s withdrawal and sent a message to the departing Italian in his post-match press conference.
“I think it’s not the way that you want a semi-final of a Grand Slam to happen, but I also saw Matteo in the locker room and he looked awful, so I understand it,” he said.
“There’s nothing much he can do. Things like that happen. We’re all human. We don’t wish for them to happen, but they do. And I don’t think there’s going to be a big difference on Sunday.”
The 2026 Roland Garros final between Cobolli and Zverev will be the fifth meeting of their career and the German shades their head-to-head record.
The German has won three of their four matches, having picked up victories at last year’s Roland Garros, as well as the Halle Open and the Madrid Open.
Cobolli’s sole victory against Zverev came recently, as he defeated the German on home soil at the Munich Open. The Italian won in straight sets to knock Zverev out of the quarter-final of the competition.
Ahead of their meeting on the clay of Roland Garros, Zverev and Cobolli have won one match apiece on the surface, so both will be confident they can pick up the victory.
Despite their disparity in the rankings, it has all the potential to be one of the closest Grand Slam finals in recent memory. Both men are yet to win a Grand Slam, so whatever happens a brand-new champion will be crowned at Roland Garros.
The final between Cobolli and Zverev takes place on Sunday, 7th June, with play set to begin at 14:00 UK time.
