Arnaldi withdraws from French Open semifinal; Cobolli to face Zverev in final

Matteo Arnaldi has withdrawn from his first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open due to a viral illness, forcing his opponent Flavio Cobolli into the championship match. The tournament announced the withdrawal approximately 20 minutes before the scheduled start time on Friday.

Arnaldi, who entered the tournament ranked 104th, reported experiencing a stomach bug overnight that progressed to vomiting and dizziness. Speaking to reporters, the Italian player stated he believed the condition was a virus rather than food poisoning, citing chills and fever. He noted that despite medical assistance, he was unable to compete.

Cobolli will now advance to the final to face Alexander Zverev. The German player secured his place in the final earlier on Friday by defeating Jakub Mensik in four sets, 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Zverev, the No. 2 seed, saved three break points in the first set to overcome the 26th-seeded Mensik, who reached his first Grand Slam semifinal.

The result guarantees that a first-time Grand Slam champion will be crowned, as defending champion Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the third round. The tournament has seen significant upsets, with Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime being the only remaining ATP top 10 players in the men’s draw after the third round.

Cobolli’s advancement into the final has vaulted him into the top 10 of the ATP rankings, moving from No. 14. A victory over Zverev would propel him into the top 5. Arnaldi will move to No. 34 in the rankings solely by reaching the semifinal, marking a historic run for a player who had never previously reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal.