Matteo Arnaldi withdrew minutes before his semi-final match against Flavio Cobolli.
The Italian pulled out of the tournament with a viral illness, sending Cobolli through to the final, where he will play Alexander Zverev.
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Arnaldi’s decision can’t have been easy to make, passing up on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete for a Grand Slam title.
Reacting to the announcement, John McEnroe shared his theory on Arnaldi’s illness.
John McEnroe believes the amount of tennis Matteo Arnaldi played caught up to him
During TNT Sports’ French Open coverage, McEnroe delivered his verdict.
“It sucks, is the bottom line,” said McEnroe.
“I am no doctor, but I think it caught up with him.
“The guy has played more tennis to get to the semis than anyone who has ever played in this event, so combine that with some nerves and some bad luck with the wrong food, and we have to sit here and talk about it.”
Time on court – French Open semi-finalists
- Matteo Arnaldi – 19hr, 42 minutes
- Jakub Mensik – 18hr, 45 minutes
- Alexander Zverev – 14hr, 43 minutes
- Flavio Cobolli – 13hr, 01 minutes
Arnaldi spent almost 20 hours on court en route to the French Open semi-finals, over six hours more than his semi-final opponent, Cobolli.
If he wasn’t 100%, he realistically stood little to no chance of upsetting his higher-ranked countryman.
McEnroe then shared when he heard the news that Arnaldi planned to withdraw.
“20 minutes ago!” he said.
“I was heading up, ate some food, assuming it was going to be a three or five-hour match. I assumed it would be fine.
“I was amazed Arnaldi bounced back after the [Frances] Tiafoe match, to be honest, he played five and a half hours and a couple of marathon matches.”
Matteo Arnaldi’s route to the French Open semi-finals
| Match | Opponent | Result | Score | Match time |
| 1R | Tallon Griekspoor | WIN | 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 | 4hr, 01 |
| 2R | Stefanos Tsitsipas | WIN | 7-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 | 3hr, 17 |
| 3R | Raphael Collignon | WIN | 6-4, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 | 4hr, 58 |
| 4R | Frances Tiafoe | WIN | 7-6, 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 | 5hr, 26 |
| QF | Matteo Berrettini | WIN | 7-5, 5-2 (RET) | 2hr, 00 |
Finally, McEnroe shared how he thought Cobolli would react to the news.
“It’s anticlimactic,” he said.
“I remember playing a British player once in the US Open third round, his name was John Lloyd. He had played the longest match in US Open history. I was scheduled to play him the next day at 11 o’clock. I got there early, and an hour before the match, they told me he was not playing.
“You are bummed for the player. But you know when you say you are sorry when you hit a net cord. You are not that sorry.
“Here is a guy in Cobolli who is bummed for his friend, but he’s also like, ‘My legs are going to be fresh!”
Cobolli will have fresh legs for the final, although such a long break could work against him.
There is a risk that the Italian loses match sharpness, which is vital for a match like the French Open final.
If he turns up cold, Zverev could win his first Grand Slam title without too much trouble…
What’s next for Matteo Arnaldi after heartbreaking French Open withdrawal?
Right now, Arnaldi will be devastated, and understandably so.
The world number 104 enjoyed a dream tournament that quickly turned into a nightmare.
To have such an exciting opportunity taken away from you at the last minute is going to take some time to get over.
But when he does, he will realise just how many opportunities lie ahead of him.
When the next set of rankings are released, Arnaldi will sit 34th, four spots off his career high.
Live ATP Rankings
- 30. Tomas Martin Etcheverry – 1,510 points
- 31. Alejandro Tabilo – 1,428 points
- 32. Brandon Nakashima – 1,385 points
- 33. Ugo Humbert – 1,370 points
- 34. Matteo Arnaldi – 1,336 points
- 35. Ignacio Buse – 1,316 points
A good grass-court season and the Italian could even be seeded for Wimbledon!
Picking up 750 ranking points in Paris, Arnaldi likely won’t need to drop down to the Challenger Tour level for another year.
So if you enjoyed watching Arnaldi at the French Open, make sure you tune in when he returns to ATP Tour action.
