Friday morning threw a curveball into the men’s side of the French Open.
Matteo Arnaldi from Italy, celebrating his first Grand Slam semi-final, had to withdraw just before his match against fellow countryman Flavio Cobolli at Philippe Chatrier. It turns out he picked up a virus the night before and wasn’t feeling well at all.
With Arnaldi’s retirement, Cobolli automatically moves to his first final, where he’ll meet Germany’s Alexander Zverev.
Earlier, Arnaldi had defeated compatriot Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-finals, a match that saw Berrettini retire in the second set due to a hip injury. But unfortunately, Arnaldi’s journey ended abruptly because of this illness.
This is quite a disappointment for the 25-year-old, especially considering he’s shown some solid form in major tournaments recently.
The last instance of a player withdrawing at such a late stage in a major was in 2022 at Wimbledon, when Rafael Nadal had to pull out due to an injury, allowing Nick Kyrgios to advance to the final.
After the news of his withdrawal, both Arnaldi and Cobolli held a press conference together.
Arnaldi expressed his frustration, saying, “It’s tough because I actually felt decent based on how the tournament was going and the time I spent on the court. To have to withdraw from the first semi-final of my career is disappointing.”
He added, “I tried to stay as long as possible to see if I could play, but when I stood up, I felt dizzy. If I ate again, I might feel worse. Ultimately, it felt like the right call.”
Cobolli shared his feelings too, mentioning the emotional toll of his friend’s situation. “Matteo called me about an hour ago, and I almost cried. I was ready for this match, and when I heard, I felt really sad for him.”
Cobolli will now take on Zverev at Philippe Chatrier for the men’s championship on Sunday morning.
