Dramatic Withdrawal: Arnaldi's Viral Illness Shakes Roland Garros

Matteo Arnaldi's noteworthy Roland Garros journey ended abruptly as he withdrew from the semi-final due to a viral illness, granting Flavio Cobolli a spot in the final against Alexander Zverev. Arnaldi's illness echoes a rare Grand Slam withdrawal, last experienced by Rafael Nadal in 2022.

In an unexpected turn of events at Roland Garros, Matteo Arnaldi was forced to withdraw from his semi-final match against Flavio Cobolli on Friday night after contracting a viral illness. Cobolli, thus, advances to Sunday’s final where he will meet Alexander Zverev.

The World No. 34 revealed that he began experiencing symptoms on Thursday night, enduring relentless vomiting episodes that rendered him unable to compete on the legendary Court Philippe-Chatrier. Arnaldi confirmed his withdrawal during a joint press briefing with Italian co-national Flavio Cobolli, cutting short his impressive campaign in Paris.

Arnaldi braved a challenging path to the semi-finals, overcoming 18 sets in four matches to reach his career's first Grand Slam semi-final. His spot in the semi was secured following Matteo Berrettini's withdrawal due to a hip injury midway through their quarter-final clash. Remarkably, the 25-year-old logged 17 hours and 42 minutes on the court, surpassing this Grand Slam's previous record by nearly two hours.