Cobolli’s Emotions Run High After Arnaldi’s Withdrawal from French Open Semifinal
Flavio Cobolli expressed deep emotions following Matteo Arnaldi’s unexpected withdrawal from their French Open 2026 semifinal due to illness. This situation granted Cobolli a walkover into the final, but he felt heartbroken for his fellow Italian.
Arnaldi made the difficult decision to pull out just 20 minutes before their match was set to start at Court Philippe-Chatrier after reportedly falling ill with a virus. This sudden turn of events cut short his remarkable journey at Roland Garros and sent Cobolli straight to the final against Alexander Zverev.
The last-minute withdrawal meant fans missed out on witnessing the first all-Italian men’s Grand Slam semifinal, putting an end to one of the most exciting stories of the tournament.
“When he told me an hour ago, I almost cried. It was so unexpected,” Cobolli shared after the news broke. “I was all set to play. I felt really sad for him,” he added, showing sympathy for his compatriot, whose impressive run ended just before the biggest match of his life.
Arnaldi’s exit was a tough ending to his breakthrough campaign, as he emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise stars. While Cobolli moved on to his first-ever Grand Slam final, the atmosphere at Philippe-Chatrier was noticeably muted, with fans missing the chance to enjoy a historic Italian showdown.
Cobolli Shows Appreciation to Fans
In spite of the disappointment, Cobolli chose to make the most of the situation by showing gratitude to the fans who had gathered for the semifinal. After the withdrawal was confirmed, he stepped onto the court to hold a training session, ensuring the crowd wasn’t left empty-handed.
Additionally, Cobolli created a special moment for two children who were meant to accompany him and Arnaldi onto the court. With Arnaldi unable to play, Cobolli invited the children to still take part in the event, earning warm applause from the audience.
Tournament organizers also announced that fans holding tickets for the Arnaldi-Cobolli match would receive a refund due to the late withdrawal.
This walkover marked the first men’s Grand Slam semifinal decided by withdrawal since Wimbledon 2022, when Rafael Nadal had to pull out of his match against Nick Kyrgios due to injury, allowing Kyrgios to advance to the final.
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