Flavio Cobolli ‘almost cried’ after Matteo Arnaldi’s French Open withdrawal
Flavio Cobolli expressed a mixture of joy and sadness after advancing to the French Open final in unexpected circumstances.
Just 25 minutes before Cobolli was set to face fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi in their semi-final on Saturday evening, the latter pulled out due to a virus.
He said, “I tried to see if I could get on court but every time I get up I feel dizzy. It was the right decision to take. I just know I can’t move, I can’t eat and I can’t drink – there was no way I was able to play.”
Arnaldi, who had previously never made it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam, endured a gruelling run to the last four, only for illness to spoil his big day.
Indeed, the 25-year-old had spent 19 hours and 42 minutes to reach this stage of the tournament – the longest anyone has played on their way to the semi-finals in a major since 1991.
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Both Arnaldi and Cobolli held a joint press conference, with both players far apart, presumably due to the former’s virus.
The latter was informed of his compatriot’s decision before it became public, with the 24-year-old admitting he was nearly moved to tears by the news.
He told reporters, “It’s tough for me to speak now. When he came to me I almost cried. It’s something you don’t expect at all. I was ready to play this match and when he came I was sad for him but at the same time, of course, I am really happy for the results from this week.
“My dad came to me right before him [Arnaldi] and we had a big hug with the whole team together for reaching the top 10. Every time I hit a new ranking high we have a big hug altogether. I am happy and sad at the same time.”
In addition to cracking the top 10 for the first time, Cobolli is also into his first Grand Slam final. He will hope to go one better than fellow countryman Jannik Sinner, who lost in last year’s French Open final to Carlos Alcaraz.
Cobolli’s faces a tough task, though, as he will lock horns with heavy favourite Alexander Zverev, who is also searching for that elusive major title.
READ MORE: Alexander Zverev aims brutal dig at his father after reaching French Open final
