Flavio Cobolli’s Journey from Football to Tennis
Flavio Cobolli recently joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stars in celebrating their Champions League triumph at Roland Garros, a moment that marked a significant intersection of his two passions: football and tennis. The Italian player, currently the 10th seed, has been making waves in the French Open, reaching his second Grand Slam quarter-final with a thrilling victory over Zachary Svajda. His performance was a mix of dominance and resilience, as he came back from a tie-break loss in the third set to secure the win.
Cobolli is no stranger to the spotlight. He has a golden opportunity to make his first final on Sunday, given the wide open half of the draw. His journey into tennis was not straightforward; he once had a promising career in football, training in Roma’s academy before shifting his focus to tennis. This transition highlights his adaptability and passion for sports.
At Roland Garros, Cobolli was seen on Court Philippe Chatrier alongside PSG players such as Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, and Warren Zaire-Emery. They paraded their two Champions League trophies around the stadium, creating an atmosphere of celebration. The Parc des Princes, just 500 metres away from Roland Garros, echoed with the sound of fireworks as fans celebrated PSG’s back-to-back titles after defeating Arsenal.
Dembele, who also participated in a similar event last year, shared his thoughts on the significance of the occasion. “It’s huge, we’ve worked every day. Roland Garros brings me luck, it’s exceptional,” he said. Zaire-Emery, who led the crowd in singing the PSG anthem, added, “Bringing the second star back to Paris is incredible. The first is historic, the second is legendary.”
Cobolli remains close to several players he trained with at Roma, including Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori. “Everyone knows that I was a football player,” said the 24-year-old. “I even liked it more than tennis when I was young. But, at the end, I don’t like to play with a team – only in Davis Cup. So I decide to quit with football.”
His decision to switch to tennis has paid off, as he now feels a different emotion and a stronger connection with himself. Despite his football background, Cobolli has maintained a good relationship with his former teammates. “If I win a good match, they write to me, and the same with them,” he noted.
Cobolli was able to watch most of the Champions League final, where Calafiori was sidelined due to injury. “Arsenal scored and Paris started to play a little bit better and I think they deserved to win the Champions League,” he added. “It was a little bit unlucky for Riccardo. He didn’t play but for sure he will have more chance to play this kind of match. So I wish him good luck.”
The Italian player faced a tough challenge against Svajda, leading 5-2 in the fourth set with two breaks of serve. However, he lost both and was dragged into a deciding tie-break. “I’m very happy to reach my first quarter-final here in Roland Garros,” said Cobolli, who also made the last eight at Wimbledon last year. “That means a lot for me. I was a little bit nervous to close the match today. Sometimes it’s not easy when you have to close, especially when you are up in the score like I was.”
Despite Jannik Sinner’s early exit, Italian men’s tennis remains well-represented. Matteo Berrettini, who matched his best result at the French Open by beating his countryman’s conqueror Juan Manuel Cerundolo, is the only player in the top half of the draw to have previously reached a Grand Slam final. Berrettini, who lost to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2021, has faced injuries in recent years.
The highest-ranked player left in the half is fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who had his most comfortable win so far in defeating Alejandro Tabilo. Like Berrettini, Auger-Aliassime is more at home on faster surfaces. If he can beat Cobolli next, he will fully believe this can be his year.
