Flavio Cobolli advances to Roland Garros semifinal after win over Auger-Aliassime. Flavio Cobolli has reached the Roland Garros semifinals for the first time after defeating fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. He will now face compatriot Matteo Arnaldi, ensuring an all-Italian final.
The first men's semifinalist has been determined at Roland Garros: Flavio Cobolli pulled off a come-from-behind victory over fourth-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal. The Italian, seeded tenth, lost the opening set but then claimed three sets in a row — 4:6, 6:4, 6:4, 6:4. Cobolli will now face fellow countryman Matteo Arnaldi, who advanced to the semifinals after Matteo Berrettini withdrew due to a hip injury.
Cobolli's victory came as a surprise to many, given his opponent's ranking and the challenging weather conditions on Philippe Chatrier court. In the first set, strong winds hampered both players, but after the roof was closed, the Italian managed to turn the match around. He was trailing early in the second set but won four consecutive games to level the sets. In both the third and fourth sets, Cobolli converted a single break, which proved enough to secure the win.
Interestingly, Cobolli does not hide his superstitions: he sticks to the same rituals, including visiting the same restaurant, ordering the same menu, and even using a specific shower stall at Roland Garros. According to him, Rafael Nadal used this very stall for 14 years, and once, the Spaniard even asked Cobolli to hurry up so he could use 'his' shower. The Italian believes that these small habits help him stay confident on court.
In the semifinals, Cobolli will face Matteo Arnaldi, who advanced to the next stage after Matteo Berrettini was forced to withdraw due to injury. Thus, an Italian finalist is already guaranteed, despite Jannik Sinner's early exit and the absence of Lorenzo Musetti due to injury. If Cobolli reaches the final, he could enter the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time, unless Jakub Mensik wins the title in Paris.
In the men's draw at Roland Garros, only Cobolli and second seed Alexander Zverev remain from the top 10; Zverev will play Jakub Mensik in the second semifinal. As russpain.com notes, Cobolli's victory would guarantee Italy a representative in the Roland Garros men's final for the second year in a row — you can read more about previous Italian successes in the article on russpain.com.
Roland Garros is traditionally considered one of the toughest tournaments for tennis players due to its clay courts and unpredictable weather. In recent years, Italian players have significantly strengthened their positions on the world stage, and the current success of Cobolli and Arnaldi confirms this trend. The tournament final will take place on Sunday, and it is already clear that Italy will have a chance at a new title in Paris.
