Tiafoe Upended in Five, Italians Make History (Again)

It’s over for Team USA at Roland Garros. The last American standing, Frances Tiafoe,  was eliminated in a dramatic five-set marathon on Monday. That was good news for Italy, because it was Matteo Arnaldi who won the five hour and 26-minute slugfest, 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. 

It’s a particularly excruciating loss for Tiafoe, given the wide open nature of the draw and the fact that a first-time Grand Slam champion will be crowned in Paris on Sunday.

The 25-year-old San Remo, Italy native joins Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals, meaning that the Italian men have placed three men in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in history. 

A testament to the depth of the Italian side, who have been able to thrive in Paris even without Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti going deep. 

Remarkably, Arnaldi has spent 17 hours and 41 minutes on court through four rounds, more than any other player at a Grand Slam since 1991, when the stat was first recorded. 

A tough tournament for the Americans ended with three losses on Monday. Madison Keys was beaten by Diana Shnaider in three sets and Zach Svajda lost to Flavio Cobolli in four. 

Arnaldi and Berrettini will play the first Men’s Singles quarterfinal between two unseeded opponents at Roland Garros since Franco Squillari and Albert Costa in 2000.