Exactly one week ago, Flavio Cobolli faced Alexander Zverev in Paris for the French Open title. After five hard-fought sets, the Italian had to congratulate the German on his first Grand Slam victory—which he promptly did in a touching speech during the award ceremony.
In the seven days since then, the disappointment over the loss in the final has slowly but surely given way to pride over what is by far his best result at a Grand Slam tournament to date. However, there isn’t much time to pause and reflect in the fast-paced world of tennis. With the grass-court season underway, the next highlight of the season has already begun.
Cobolli, who has moved into the top ten of the world rankings for the first time thanks to his success in Paris, is competing in the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN in Halle for the third time in his career. He didn’t have much time to prepare this year. “I had a few days off after the final,” he said on Sunday. “I’ve only trained on grass for an hour. I know I might not play my best tennis in the first match, but you have to accept that.”
Bolstered by the confidence he’s gained over the past few weeks, the 24-year-old still hopes to improve on his best result to date on the Westphalian grass (quarterfinals in 2025, loss to Zverev). “I’ve worked a lot on my shots: serve, forehand, and backhand,” says Cobolli. “I think I can play well here, too. The goal is to push myself to the limit this week and play my best tennis.”
A rematch of the French Open final between Cobolli and Zverev can only happen in the championship match this year. The German is seeded number one and thus sits at the top of the draw. Cobolli—himself the number six seed—is on the other side of the draw in the quarter featuring second-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
In the first round, Cobolli will face American Frances Tiafoe late Monday afternoon. It’s a tough draw, especially since the American leads their head-to-head record 3-1. Of their two matches this year, Cobolli (in Acapulco) and Tiafoe (in Indian Wells) each won one.
However, the two have never faced each other on grass. While Cobolli and the fast green surface had a cool relationship in the early years of his career, the Italian is now well on his way to building a warm friendship with the game on grass. In 2025, he reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets. “I’ve come to enjoy playing on grass,” he reveals with a smile. “I especially like it in England, and I love to play at Wimbledon. This is because it is a little slower than here. ”
