Arnaldi withdraws from Roland Garros semi with virus, sending Cobolli into first major final against Zverev

A historic semi-final that never was

The first all-Italian men's Grand Slam semi-final in the Open Era was called off roughly 25 minutes before the scheduled start on Friday evening. Matteo Arnaldi, the world number 104 from Sanremo, withdrew with a viral illness that had kept him vomiting through the night. Organisers announced the decision in the press room at Roland Garros, specifying that Arnaldi was suffering from a virus and would be unable to play. Ticket-holders for the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier will be refunded, though Flavio Cobolli did take to the court for a practice session.

When he came to me almost one hour ago, I almost cried. It's something that you don't expect at all. I was ready to play this match. When he came, I was completely sad for him.

Arnaldi's marathon run cut short

Arnaldi had been the tournament's most improbable semi-finalist, the lowest-ranked player to reach the last four at Roland Garros in nearly 30 years. He spent a record 19 hours and 42 minutes on court across five matches, a Grand Slam record for time played en route to a semi-final. The physical toll appeared to catch up with him overnight. Arnaldi told a press conference he woke at 1 a.m. vomiting, could not sleep, and vomited again around 6 or 7 a.m. A doctor visited his room and gave him medication, but he was unable to eat throughout the day.

To have to withdraw from a first grand slam semi-final is not something you wish on anybody. I feel sorry for everyone that got the tickets and came, all the Italians that came to watch us.

It is only the third time in the Open Era that a men's Grand Slam semi-final has seen a withdrawal before the match. The previous instances were Rafael Nadal's abdominal injury ahead of a Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios four years ago, and a withdrawal at the 1992 Australian Open.

Cobolli's path to the final

Flavio Cobolli, the 24-year-old world number 14 from Rome, reaches his first major final without striking a ball in the semi-final. His run through the draw included wins over Andrea Pellegrino, Yibing Wu, Learner Tien, Zachary Svajda, and Félix Auger-Aliassime. Cobolli described himself as "sad and happy at the same time" after learning of his close friend's withdrawal. The final offers him a chance to break into the top 10 of the ATP rankings.

Zverev awaits, chasing a first major title

Alexander Zverev, the world number three, booked his place in the final earlier on Friday with a four-set victory over Czech 27th seed Jakub Mensik: 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. The 29-year-old German is into his fourth career Grand Slam final and has lost all three previous attempts (US Open 2020, Roland Garros 2024, Australian Open 2025). He holds a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Cobolli, including two wins from three meetings on clay. The final is scheduled for Sunday at 15:00 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Italian tennis: triumph and concern

The withdrawal dampens what had been a celebratory moment for Italian tennis. Earlier in the tournament, Matteo Berrettini had retired from his quarter-final against Arnaldi with intense hip pain. The succession of late-stage withdrawals has raised questions about physical demands and workload management for young players. Cobolli now carries Italian hopes into a final against one of the sport's most experienced contenders, with the chance to claim a first Grand Slam title for both himself and his country at this year's Roland Garros.