Arnaldi's Shock Semifinal Withdrawal Hands Cobolli Historic French Open Walkover
A bizarre and historic day at the 2026 French Open has set up a highly unexpected men's singles final. On Friday, June 5, 2026, Italian world No. 104 Matteo Arnaldi was forced to withdraw from his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal against his close friend and compatriot, 10th seed Flavio Cobolli, due to a severe stomach virus.
The announcement shocked the tennis world, coming just 25 minutes before the two Italians were scheduled to walk onto Court Philippe-Chatrier.
"I tried to see if I could get on court but every time I get up I feel dizzy. It was the right decision to take," said 104th-ranked Arnaldi, who had never previously gone past the fourth round of a major. "I just know I can't move, I can't eat and I can't drink - there was no way I was able to play."
This marks an incredibly rare occurrence in modern tennis history.
"Arnaldi's withdrawal is only the third time a Grand Slam men's singles semi-final has ended in a walkover since the Open era began in 1968."
The walkover sent the 24-year-old Cobolli directly into his first Grand Slam final. To avoid catching the virus, Cobolli and Arnaldi sat at opposite ends of the table during a joint press conference held shortly after the announcement. Cobolli expressed his heartbreak for his childhood friend: "It is so, so tough. When he came to see me, I almost cried."
In the only men's semifinal actually played on Friday, second seed and tournament favorite Alexander Zverev defeated 26th-seeded Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in four sets (7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3). Zverev, who is seeking his elusive maiden Grand Slam title, will face Cobolli in Sunday's final on June 7, 2026. Because both players have never won a major, Roland Garros is guaranteed to crown a first-time Grand Slam men's singles champion.123
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An instance of A tennis generation does not turn until both singles brackets crown first-time Grand Slam champions. — The tournament is locked into crowning a brand-new maiden Grand Slam singles champion for the tournament's final match. ↩︎
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An instance of A tennis generation does not turn until both singles brackets crown first-time Grand Slam champions. — The tournament guaranteed a first-time Grand Slam male champion to match the generational turn in the singles brackets. ↩︎
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An instance of A double-bracket generational breakthrough marks the true passing of the tennis crown. — The walkover loss of Arnaldi guaranteed that the French Open would crown a first-time men's singles champion, satisfying the male half of the tournament's generational turn. ↩︎