Only one Roland Garros semi-final match was played on Friday after Matteo Arnaldi was forced to withdraw due to a viral illness 20 minutes before his scheduled match against 10th seed Flavio Cobolli, the tournament announced.
Koboli defeated 26th seed Jakub Mencik in four sets on Friday and will advance to Sunday’s final where he will face second seed Alexander Zverev. The crowning of the first Grand Slam champion since Novak Djokovic (Serbia) was eliminated in the third round is now certain.
advertisement
It was a tough turn for Arnaldi, who entered the tournament unseeded and ranked 104th in the world. He had never reached a Grand Slam quarter-final before this year’s Roland Garros, but he advanced after beating Francis Tiafoe in the fourth round and forcing Matteo Berrettini to retire midway through Wednesday’s match.
Play 2026 Soccer Pick ‘Em on FOX One and pick your players for the world’s biggest soccer tournament
Speaking to reporters after the announcement, Arnaldi said he encountered a stomach bug overnight and was unable to play despite help from doctors.
“It’s hard to be here. It’s not what I wanted to do, but last night I started not feeling so well. I felt fine yesterday. I came here to practice and did everything I was supposed to do. I felt good. I ate dinner. My stomach started to feel okay. I thought, ‘Okay, my digestion isn’t very good.'” But at 1 a.m., he woke up and started vomiting. It wasn’t the best feeling. Then I tried to sleep.
“I couldn’t sleep at all. I threw up again around 6 or 7 a.m. This time it was pretty bad. I called the doctor in the room and he came and gave me something. I thought maybe it was dinner or something, but I couldn’t eat all day. Every time I ate or drank something, I went back to the bathroom. So, it’s hard. It’s hard. I actually felt really sick, considering how the tournament went and how much time I spent on the court.” Good.
“Having to withdraw from your first Grand Slam semi-final is not something anyone wants. I prepared and tried to stay here as long as I could. I tried to see if I could get on the court, but every time I get up I feel dizzy and I don’t feel the best. I’m sure if I eat again I’ll feel sick, so it was the right decision for me.”
Asked if he was sick or had food poisoning, Arnaldi said he thought it was due to a virus because he experienced chills and fever during the day.
advertisement
Arnaldi now faces the question of whether he will ever get another chance like this. This year’s Roland Garros has been marked by a series of upsets, with Zverev and hard court specialist Félix Auger-Aliassime the only ATP top 10 players left after the third round. Arnaldi has been a promising player in the past, and while just reaching the semi-finals would move him up to No. 34 in the rankings, every player wants to win a Grand Slam. There may be nothing more open than this.
Cobolli said he felt sorry for his friend, but did not deny that he was excited about the opportunity. He entered the tournament ranked 14th, but just reaching a Grand Slam final was enough to break into the top 10 of the ATP rankings.
“When I heard this almost an hour ago, I almost cried. It was completely unexpected. I was ready to play this match, but when it came, I was completely sad for him. But at the same time, of course, I’m really happy with how this week went. My dad also came up to me last minute and we got into the top 10 and we gave him a big hug with the whole team.”
“I’m sad and happy at the same time.”
A win against Zverev would move Kobori into the top five.
