Flavio Cobolli ticked the latest milestone in a 2026 season that has been full of breakthroughs on Wednesday in Cincinnati, rallying from a set down to defeat 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar, 4-6 7-6(3) 6-3.
Most considered Jodar, ranked one spot lower than Cobolli in the ATP rankings, as the favorite in their first career meeting. The Spanish teen, ranked at a career-high No.11, played like the favorite in the beginning, but he was unable to keep up his momentum as Cobolli and his world-class forehand entered the chat.
Cobolli reaches his first career Masters 1000 quarterfinal on a hard court. Earlier this year he reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal on clay in Madrid, then played his maiden Grand Slam final in Roland Garros, where he lost to Alexander Zverev in five sets.
He also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the second straight year, and is up to No.4 in the race to Turin standings.
Cobolli hit 18 winners and broke the Spaniard three times from six opportunities.
His energy level rose as Jodar’s dipped down the stretch, and he finished with 33 winners to 26 for Jodar. In the final set Cobolli had 12 winners to just six for the Spaniard and he saved the only break point he faced while consolidating his break at 4-2 in the third.
Cobolli was well aware of the energy ebbs and flows on the other side of the net.
“I just told myself to believe, to fight in every point, and I knew I would get a chance,” Cobolli said in his on-court interview. “Rafa, I think he played an incredible season, an incredible week, so I think he felt a little tired at the beginning of the second. Still, I think the level was really high and in the third set, I pushed to the limit.”
24-year-old Cobolli improves to 30-17 on the year and will face either Alexander Zverev or Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.
More to follow…
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