Flavio Cobolli has cleared a few things up after losing to Alexander Zverev in the French Open final.
Cobolli reached his first Grand Slam final at the French Open this year, having never been past the quarter-final stage at a major before.
The Italian forced a fifth set against his opponent, but Cobolli was ultimately beaten by Zverev 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6(4)-7, 6-1.
After the match, Cobolli claimed that Zverev deserved to win the French Open and he was asked to provide more clarification on those comments in his post-match press conference.
Flavio Cobolli explains why he said Alexander Zverev deserved to win the French Open
When asked about these comments after the match, Cobolli first explained that it was because Zverev beat him in the final.
Cobolli then went on to talk about how much Zverev has achieved in his career, which he claimed has earned him his first Grand Slam title.
“Because in the end he won! In the end he deserved it more than me,” said Cobolli. “But also I said that he deserved it because Sascha [Zverev] is here for 10 years. He has made a lot of great results and I think he deserves a Grand Slam for what he has done in his career.
“Today I felt a bit of pressure, maybe more than him. But I also am happy for how I played the first final of my Grand Slam career. It is never easy to play for the first time on this stage and in this kind of match.
“I said he deserved it more than me just because, of course, he won but also for what he has done in his career.”
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What a final!
Flavio Cobolli says what he thought about Alexander Zverev struggling physically
Cobolli appeared to have the momentum after winning the fourth set, when Zverev was struggling with cramp.
When asked about what he noticed during these moments, Cobolli admitted that he was also struggling physically in the fifth set and suggested that Zverev managed himself better in these moments.
“I felt that he was tired but I think he took a little bit more time than me and maybe it helped,” responded Cobolli.
“But like I said before, it’s 10 years he was here and maybe he knows better than me at the crucial point what he has to do. I think also he was more fresh than me in the fifth. So in the end it was like this.”
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Although he was unable to take home the title, Cobolli will still be rewarded for reaching his first Grand Slam final.
After his run in Paris, Cobolli will climb to a new career-high ranking of world number 10 and he will also be fourth in the race to the ATP Finals.
