Berrettini’s Fairy Tale Ends, Arnaldi’s Continues in Paris

Roland-Garros in 2026 was a fairy tale for Matteo Berrettini – until it became a nightmare. The fairy tale for his quarterfinal opponent, 25-year-old Matteo Arnaldi? It’s still going. 

Berrettini was forced to retire in the second set of Wednesday’s quarterfinal due to a hip issue, sending Berrettini through to his first major semifinal, 7-5, 5-2, RET. 

“It was a really tough task today, but then the more that I was playing, the more I was serving, the more I was hitting forehands, the worse I was feeling,” Berrettini said. “I took the medical timeout, and they told me that the area was really sore and really painful. So I just tried, but then the pain was too much, and I hope that I didn’t do any serious damage.”

A bitter way to end for Berrettini, who was making his first appearance on the Parisian clay since 2021. The 30-year-old Italian has spent his career battling significant injuries, but when he has been healthy he has been a perennial Top 10 player.

Even Arnaldi was sorry to see Berrettini struggle physically again. 

“I feel sorry for Matteo,” he said. “We practice a lot together in Monte-Carlo. It’s tough to see him like that, but at the same time, he played an amazing tournament. He came back to a great level, and now it’s going to be grass season for him where he plays his best tennis. So I’m sure he will come back stronger.” 

Arnaldi himself has dealt with a foot injury that forced him to plummet out of the Top 100. But since this spring he has found good health again. In Paris he has proven to be fit as a fiddle, spending 19 hours and 42 minutes on court across five wins to become the lowest-ranked men’s semifinal at Roland-Garros in 29 years. 

Arnaldi was granted a reprieve on Wednesday. He entered the match having played back-to-back five-setters – a four hour and 58-minute win over Raphael Collignon followed by a comeback from two sets down against Frances Tiafoe that lasted 5:26. 

“Obviously it was a question mark today, because I played two long matches in a row,” he said. “Yesterday I didn’t play tennis. I just came here, did some physios and some stuff in the gym. Today I was actually feeling pretty good.

“I can’t complain. I have been playing a lot, but at the same time, I’m happy to be on court and to spend time on court, because I miss the playing. I for sure have some energy left for the next matches.” 

Arnaldi will face 10th-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli in a battle of first-time major semifinalists on Friday. Three of the four men’s semifinalists at Roland-Garros are making their major semifinal debut – the first time this has occurred at Roland-Garros since 2005. 

Arnaldi vs Cobolli will be the first all-Italian Singles semi-final at a Grand Slam event in the Open Era, and the first Men’s Singles semi-final at Roland Garros between two players ranked outside the ATP top 10 since 2009 (Robin Soderling-Fernando Gonzalez).