Roland Garros, Arnaldi's dream interrupted, Cobolli flies to the final against Zverev
A physical problem forces Matteo Arnaldi to retire and gives Cobolli the pass for Sunday's final
Roland Garros 2026 handed Italia an unprecedented page and, at the same time, a bittersweet epilogue: Matteo Arnaldi withdrew before even taking the court in the semi-final against Flavio Cobolli, leaving the way open for his compatriot and nipping in the bud what would have been the first ever Italian derby with a Slam final at stake. A sudden forfeit, linked to a physical problem - there is talk of a virus - that ended an extraordinary ride.
The substance remains of an exploit that has changed Matteo Arnaldi's dimension. Starting at number 104 in the ATP ranking, the Ligurian climbed more than 70 positions, finding himself virtually at number 34 in the world, at the gates of the top 30. A qualitative leap that is also certified by the economic numbers: with access to the Paris semifinals, Arnaldi secures himself a cheque for 750,000 euros, more than he has often cashed in entire seasons in the Challenger circuit.
His path remains one to be framed: victory over Tsitsipas, marathon with Tiafoe, and the derby with Berrettini closed at 7-5 5-2 before his opponent retired. A path of a pure outsider, built on resilience and on an exhausting tennis that led him to stay on the court for more than five hours in a single match. A rise that, although broken at the most beautiful moment, probably represents the beginning of a new phase in his career.
If Arnaldi exits to applause and with a suddenly more solid wallet, Flavio Cobolli, on the other hand, enters the elite dimension. The Roman, already number 14 ATP at the start of the tournament, thanks to the final projects himself firmly among the world's top ten, with prospects of further growth in the event of Sunday's exploits.
For him, Roland Garros is an economic as well as a sporting breakthrough: in addition to the 750,000 euros already cashed in, the 1.4 million guaranteed to the finalist, a figure that testifies to the growth of the Slam's business on clay, which will come to distribute more than 61.7 million in total in 2026.
