Matteo Arnaldi Advances to His First Grand Slam Semi-Final at the French Open

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

In a thrilling quarter-final at the French Open, Matteo Arnaldi secured his spot in his inaugural Grand Slam semi-final, as fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini was forced to retire due to injury. The match concluded with Arnaldi leading 7-5, 5-2.

The encounter between the two Italians was abruptly halted when Berrettini experienced a troubling hip issue. After taking a medical timeout early in the second set, he ultimately chose to withdraw from the match following a discussion with his team.

Currently ranked No. 104 in the world, Arnaldi has showcased remarkable resilience throughout his campaign at Roland Garros. Prior to reaching the quarter-finals, he had already spent an exhausting 17 hours and 42 minutes on the court, including more than 10 hours in his preceding two matches. Despite the toll, he pressed forward to claim a place in the semi-finals.

Arnaldi is set to face fellow countryman Flavio Cobolli in the semi-finals on Friday. This matchup guarantees that an Italian will reach the French Open final on Sunday, providing a silver lining amid the earlier exit of world No. 1 and last year's finalist, Jannik Sinner.

After the match, Arnaldi expressed his concern for Berrettini’s wellbeing, stating, "It’s unfortunate. We’ve both put in a lot of effort, and it’s typical not to perform at our peak. It's always disappointing when a tournament ends like this for anyone."

He further acknowledged the strength of Italian tennis and wished Berrettini a swift recovery in preparation for the grass-court season ahead.

Despite his evident fatigue from numerous lengthy matches, the 24-year-old Arnaldi is committed to giving his all as he stands one step away from a historic final at the French Open.

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