French Open 2026: I almost cried, Fabio Cobolli reacts to Arnaldi’s semifinal withdrawal

Flavio Cobolli admitted he was left emotional after Matteo Arnaldi’s shock withdrawal from their French Open 2026 semifinal due to illness, a development that handed him a walkover into the final. The Italian revealed he was heartbroken for his compatriot after learning that the much-anticipated all-Italian showdown would not take place.

Arnaldi pulled out around 20 minutes before the scheduled start on Court Philippe-Chatrier after reportedly contracting a virus, ending his remarkable run at Roland Garros and sending Cobolli directly into the championship match against Alexander Zverev.

The withdrawal denied fans the first all-Italian men’s Grand Slam semifinal and abruptly ended one of the tournament’s most compelling storylines.

“When he came to me an hour ago, I almost cried. It’s something you don’t expect at all,” Cobolli said after the withdrawal was confirmed.

“I was ready to play this match. I was completely sad for him,” he added, expressing sympathy for his fellow Italian, whose breakthrough campaign came to an unfortunate end before the biggest match of his career.

Arnaldi’s withdrawal was a bitter conclusion to a dream run that saw the world No. 104 emerge as one of the surprise packages of the tournament. While Cobolli advanced to his maiden Grand Slam final, the circumstances left a subdued mood around Philippe-Chatrier, with fans missing out on a historic Italian semifinal contest.

COBOLLI PAYS THE CROWD BACK

Despite the disappointment, Cobolli chose to acknowledge the spectators who had gathered for the scheduled semifinal. Following confirmation of the withdrawal, he stepped onto Court Philippe-Chatrier for a training session in front of the crowd instead of leaving the arena empty.

The Italian also created a memorable moment for two young children who had been selected to accompany the players onto the court before the match. With Arnaldi unable to participate, Cobolli ensured both children still got their chance to make a ceremonial entrance onto Chatrier, drawing warm applause from fans.

Tournament organisers also announced that spectators holding tickets for the Arnaldi-Cobolli semifinal would receive reimbursement following the late withdrawal.

The walkover marked the first men’s Grand Slam semifinal to be decided by withdrawal since Wimbledon 2022, when Rafael Nadal pulled out ahead of his semifinal against Nick Kyrgios because of an abdominal injury. Kyrgios subsequently advanced to the final, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets.

– Ends