Matteo Arnaldi advanced to his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros after his fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini retired from their quarter-final clash with a hip injury. Trailing 7-5, 5-2, Berrettini was forced to withdraw after two hours of play, giving Arnaldi a spot in the last four.
How did the match unfold before Berrettini's retirement?
Berrettini began strongly, breaking serve twice in the opening three games to lead 3-0, but Arnaldi recovered to win seven of the next nine games and claim the first set after a gruelling 76 minutes. According to Berrettini, he first felt discomfort on serve during the opening set but attempted to push through. After losing the first set, the pain intensified as the match progressed, and Berrettini took a medical timeout down 2-1 in the second set. He held serve briefly but could not continue and retired after the 5-2 game.
What is Arnaldi's path to the semi-final?
The 25-year-old from San Remo has accumulated nearly 20 hours on court en route to the quarter-finals, the most logged by any man reaching that stage at a major since 1991. Arnaldi defeated Tallon Griekspoor, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Raphaël Colignon, and Frances Tiafoe to reach the last eight. His victory over Berrettini makes him the lowest-ranked man to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals since Belgian Filip Dewulf achieved the feat in 1997 ranked No. 122.
Who will Arnaldi face in the semi-final?
Arnaldi will meet fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli in an all-Italian semi-final on Friday. Cobolli, seeded No. 14, advanced by defeating Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in a comeback victory. The semi-final will be the first time two Italians have contested a Grand Slam men's singles semi-final.
The winner will advance to the Roland Garros final, scheduled for Sunday.
Sources
- MorungExpress: Arnaldi advances to maiden Grand Slam QF at Roland Garros after Berrettini retires. IANS, 2026-06-04.
- Free Press Journal: French Open 2026: Matteo Arnaldi Advances To Maiden Grand Slam Semi-Final At Roland Garros After Berrettini. IANS, 2026-06-04.
- Gol del Napoli: Arnaldi in semifinale al Roland Garros, Berrettini si ritira nel secondo set per infortunio. 2026-06-04.
- ESPN: Roland Garros: Arnaldi aprovechó el retiro de Berrettini, se quedó con el duelo entre italianos y se metió en semifinales. 2026-06-03.
Reported from public sources.