Flavio Cobolli proved once again that he has the mettle to come through the most difficult of scenarios on a tennis court.
On Sunday, the 23-year-old Italian star battled past an emboldened Stan Wawrinka, defeating the Swiss legend 6-4, 6-7, 7-6.
Cobolli’s performance levelled Italy’s United match against Switzerland at 1-1. Unfortunately for Italian fans, their nation lost the deciding mixed doubles rubber.
Cobolli, ranked 17th in the world, has become one of the most likely challengers to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s dominance on the Tour following a stellar 2025 campaign.
Flavio Cobolli’s ability to deal with high-pressure moments will serve him well against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Flavio Cobolli has become a master at navigating his way through tight contests.
The Italian star first proved this while representing Italy at the 2025 Davis Cup. In the semi-finals against Belgium, Cobolli defeated Zizou Bergs after saving seven match points.
Who will be the United Cup MVP? Anyone else? Let us know in the comments
Cobolli defeated Bergs 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, winning a remarkable 32-point third set tiebreak.
Two months later, Cobolli found himself on the brink of defeat against Stan Wawrinka, yet he found a way to emerge victorious once again.
Throughout his professional career, Cobolli has proved absolutely capable of winning close tiebreak sets.
The Italian has won 13 of the 17 tiebreak sets he has contested during his career, a record of 76.5 per cent.
Against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, playing well in the biggest moments is a must; both Alcaraz and Sinner are masters at raising their game in these moments.
Some players falter in high-pressure scenarios, while others rise to the occasion. Cobolli appears to be in the latter camp, and this is a quality that could help him challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2026.
Flavio Cobolli’s record versus Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Flavio Cobolli is ready to break into the ATP top 10 in 2026, even if he has a losing record against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Cobolli’s one meeting with Alcaraz occurred in the first round of the 2023 French Open. The Spaniard defeated Cobolli 6-0, 6-2, 7-5.
This year, Cobolli played Sinner for the first time in his career. In the Vienna Open round of 16, Sinner defeated the Italian 6-2, 7-6.
Carlos Alcaraz WILL complete the Career Grand Slam before Jannik Sinner – discuss…
When asked by Ubitennis about Jannik Sinner in December, Cobolli said: “In life, you have to be a little realistic. One tries, I work every day to get to where he is, but I recognise that he is now very far from me.”
