In a bittersweet slice of tennis history on the clay courts of Roland Garros, underdog Matteo Arnaldi has advanced to his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final. The milestone achievement came after his fellow Italian countryman and former Wimbledon finalist, Matteo Berrettini, was forced to reluctantly retire due to a severe hip injury during their all-Italian quarterfinal showdown. Arnaldi was leading the high-stakes match 7-5, 5-2 when the physical toll became too great for his opponent.
The victory punches a ticket to the final four for the 104th-ranked Arnaldi, writing his name into the tournament record books under unique circumstances. He is now just the second man in the entire Open era to win a Roland Garros quarterfinal match by opponent retirement.
Berrettini Battles Bravely Before Body Gives Out
Following the sudden conclusion of the match, an emotional Berrettini clarified that he first noticed the physical discomfort while serving in the very first set, but intentionally chose to block it out to keep his championship hopes alive. “The match was very tough, and I just didn’t really think much of it,” the former World No. 6 explained post-match. “I just kept going and I tried to do my best… but then the more that I was playing, the more I was serving, the more I was hitting forehands, the worse I was feeling.”
The match had originally started heavily in Berrettini’s favor, as he came charging out of the gates to break Arnaldi’s serve twice in the first three games, surging ahead to a commanding 3-0 lead. However, Arnaldi—who entered the match having already logged the highest cumulative on-court hours en route to a major quarterfinal since 1991—steadied his nerves.
Arnaldi mounted a ferocious comeback by claiming seven of the next nine games, navigating a grueling 76-minute opening frame that included a marathon eight-game sequence stretching across nine deuces.
The momentum officially tilted after a medical timeout down 2-1 in the second set failed to fix Berrettini’s mobility issues, forcing him to gracefully pull the plug after precisely two hours of play.
A Historic All-Italian Semi-Final Awaits
Arnaldi’s remarkable Cinderella run makes him the lowest-ranked men’s semifinalist in Paris since Belgium’s Filip Dewulf reached the final four back in 1997 while sitting at World No. 122. Across the fortnight, the 25-year-old Italian has pushed his body to the absolute limit, grinding through nearly 20 total hours of intensely physical clay-court tennis.
“It’s crazy to think I’m in the semifinals,” Arnaldi said in disbelief during his on-court interview. “I was feeling actually pretty good. I can’t complain. I have been playing a lot, but at the same time I’m happy to be on court… I for sure have some energy left for the next matches.”
- An Unprecedented Countryman Clash: Arnaldi will now face 10th-seeded fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli on Friday for a historic spot in the French Open Grand Slam final.
- Cobolli’s Path: Cobolli earned his place in the final four earlier in the day by showcasing stellar resilience, rallying past a tough challenge from Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
- Head-to-Head History: The upcoming semi-final will serve as a thrilling tiebreaker for the childhood friends. They currently sit even at 1-1 in their official ATP Head-to-Head series, though Cobolli secured the victory in their most recent encounter during the second round of Roland Garros back in 2025.
| Player Metrics | Current ATP Rank | Total Tournament Court Time | Final 8 Match Outcome |
| Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) | No. 104 | ~20 Hours | Advanced (7-5, 5-2 ret.) |
| Flavio Cobolli (ITA) | No. 10 (Seed) | ~14 Hours | Advanced (4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) |