The French Open 2026 men’s singles final is set. Alexander Zverev faces Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in Sunday’s title clash as both players chase their maiden Grand Slam title. While Zverev advanced to the final showdown after a promising victory against Jakub Menšík, Matteo Arnaldi’s withdrawal helped Cobolli reach his first Major final.
Matteo Arnaldi Falls Ill Before Facing Flavio Cobolli at French Open
When Cobolli won his quarterfinal match against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Wednesday, an Italian finalist was guaranteed at the tournament. The second quarterfinal of the day was an all-Italian clash between Arnaldi and Matteo Berrettini. Arnaldi, who spent a record 19 hours and 42 minutes on court en route to the final four, was handed a rather unusual victory, as Berrettini retired injured mid-match with the score favoring his opponent 7-5, 5-2 (ret).
The moment was bittersweet for Arnaldi, who reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. His dream, however, came crashing when he fell ill ahead of Friday’s semifinal. The 25-year-old announced his withdrawal from the tournament in a press conference just minutes before his match against Cobolli.
“It’s difficult to be here. It’s not what I wanted to do. But last night I started to feel not very well. Yesterday I was feeling okay. I came to practice and did everything I had to do. I felt fine. I had dinner. I started to feel so-so with my stomach,” he said.
The Italian disclosed that his health deteriorated in the hours leading up to his appearance. “I was like, ‘Alright, just didn’t digest very well.’ I woke up at 1:00 a.m. and started vomiting. I wasn’t feeling the best. Then I tried to sleep. Couldn’t sleep at all. At 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. I vomited again. This time it was pretty bad.”
Arnaldi was given medication after he consulted a doctor, but there was no improvement and he could barely eat.
“I was hoping it could just be something from dinner or something like that. Throughout the day I couldn’t eat. Every time I ate or drank something, I would go back to the bathroom. So it’s tough.”
“To have to withdraw from my first Slam semifinal is not something you wish for anybody. Tried to see if I could go on court, but every time I got up, I felt dizzy,” the World No. 104 said.
Arnaldi secured some remarkable wins across the fortnight, starting with victories against Tallon Griekspoor and former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas. He then beat Raphael Collignon in five sets and followed it with another thriller against Frances Tiafoe before facing Berrettini.
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As for Cobolli, the 24-year-old Italian hadn’t reached past the quarterfinals at any Grand Slam. He now finds himself in his first Major final, ensuring an Italian finalist for a second year in a row after World No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s runner-up finish in 2025.