The ATP 104th place holder is in the semifinals at Roland Garros! Italy will surely have a finalist
Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published on Thursday, 04 June 2026, 09:03 / Updated on Thursday, 04 June 2026 09:03
Roland Garros had a painful moment in the quarterfinals. The all-Italian duel between Matteo Berrettini (30 years old, #105 ATP) and Matteo Arnaldi (25 years old, #104 ATP) ended prematurely after Berrettini had to withdraw due to injury.
The former Wimbledon finalist left the court visibly hurt in tears after citing serious problems with his left hip.
Berrettini stopped in the second set
The match on the Parisian clay started evenly, and the first set went to Arnaldi, score 7-5.
The problems for Berrettini arose in the second act, when the Italian began to move with difficulty. After almost two hours of play and at the score of 7-5, 5-2 for his opponent, he decided that he could not continue.
Thus, Matteo Arnaldi achieved the most important performance of his career and qualified for the first time in a Grand Slam semifinal.
Matteo Berrettini: “I had to make a difficult but correct decision”
At the post-match press conference, Berrettini explained the reasons for the abandonment and admitted that it was one of the most difficult decisions of his career.
“It's definitely the hip. I don't know exactly what it is, I hope the investigations are clear and show exactly what I have. I've never had anything like this. I've had problems with my right hip before in late 2019 and early 2020, but it was a different kind of pain.
I don't know what to say. I think it's part of the job I do. It is an individual sport, so there is no possibility of a change, I cannot ask someone to come in my place. It is what it is. Unfortunately, I had to make the hard but right decision and retire. I had to think about my recovery and my future.”
Arnaldi and Cobolli, historic semifinal for Italian tennis
Arnaldi's success already guarantees Italy a representative in the men's final at Roland Garros.
In the penultimate act, he will meet compatriot Flavio Cobolli (24 years old, #14 ATP), who produced one of the surprises of the tournament after the elimination of Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
It will thus be a 100% Italian semifinal at the Philippe-Chatrier arena, a new confirmation of the spectacular rise of tennis in the Peninsula.
