Arnaldi storms into maiden Roland Garros SF as Berrettini retires hurt
Synopsis
An all-Italian quarterfinal ended in heartbreak as Matteo Berrettini's hip gave way at 7-5, 5-2, gifting world No. 104 Matteo Arnaldi a place in the Roland Garros semi-finals. Arnaldi is the lowest-ranked Paris semifinalist since 1997 — and now faces fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli in a guaranteed all-Italian Grand Slam final pathway.
Key Takeaways
Matteo Arnaldi reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros on 4 June 2025 .
Matteo Berrettini retired with a hip injury trailing 7-5, 5-2 after exactly two hours.
Arnaldi, ranked 104 , is the lowest-ranked Paris semifinalist since Filip Dewulf in 1997 .
He has logged nearly 20 hours on court — most by any player en route to a major QF since 1991.
Arnaldi faces 10th seed Flavio Cobolli in Friday's semi-final; head-to-head stands 1-1 .
Matteo Arnaldi moved into his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros on 4 June 2025 after compatriot Matteo Berrettini retired from their all-Italian quarterfinal with a hip injury while trailing 7-5, 5-2. The world No. 104 becomes just the second man in the Open era to win a Roland Garros quarterfinal by retirement.
How the match unravelled
Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist, started the brighter of the two Italians, breaking serve twice in the opening three games and racing to a 3-0 lead at the first change of ends. But Arnaldi reeled off seven of the next nine games to snatch a gruelling 76-minute opening set, with a nine-deuce eighth game proving the inflection point — Berrettini saved five break points to hold but could not repeat the act when serving to stay in the set.
Injury forces the call
The former world No. 6 left the court for a medical timeout while trailing 2-1 in the second set. A love hold briefly steadied him, but after battling on for three more games he pulled the plug at exactly the two-hour mark.
“The match was very tough, and I just didn't really think much of it,” Berrettini said. “I just kept going and I tried to do my best. It was a really tough task today, but then the more that I was playing, the more I was serving, the more I was hitting forehands, the worse I was feeling.”
He added that he had first felt discomfort on serve in the first set but pushed it out of his mind for as long as he could.
A historic run for the underdog
At 25, Arnaldi is the lowest-ranked man to reach the Paris semifinals or better since Belgian Filip Dewulf made the last four in 1997 at No. 122, and only the third man outside the top 100 to do so since 1990. He has already logged nearly 20 hours on court this fortnight — the most by any player en route to a major quarterfinal since 1991.
“It's crazy to think I'm in the semifinals,” Arnaldi said. “I was feeling actually pretty good. I can't complain. I have been playing a lot, but at the same time I'm happy to be on court and to spend time on court, because I miss the playing. I for sure have some energy left for the next matches.”
All-Italian semi-final awaits
Arnaldi will face 10th seed Flavio Cobolli on Friday, after Cobolli rallied past Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to seal his own maiden Grand Slam semi-final. The two are level 1-1 in their ATP head-to-head, with Cobolli winning their most recent meeting in the second round at Roland Garros 2025. Arnaldi noted the pair have known each other since they were “11 or 12 years old”.
What's next
With both semi-finalists chasing their first major final, Italian tennis is guaranteed another finalist in Paris — a remarkable stretch for the federation that has produced Jannik Sinner's recent dominance and now a second Slam pathway through its depth.
Point of View
But the deeper headline is Italian tennis depth. With Sinner setting the ceiling and Cobolli, Arnaldi and Berrettini all in the Paris quarterfinals, Italy now has a pipeline no other nation can match outside Spain's golden generation. The asterisk on this semi-final — won via retirement — should not obscure that Arnaldi out-rallied a former Top 10 player for 76 minutes before the hip gave way. The next test, against a peer he has known since boyhood, will tell us whether this is a fairytale or the start of a career.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Matteo Arnaldi reach the Roland Garros semi-final?
Arnaldi advanced after fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini retired with a hip injury while trailing 7-5, 5-2 in their quarterfinal on 4 June 2025. It is Arnaldi's first Grand Slam semi-final appearance.
Why did Matteo Berrettini retire from the match?
Berrettini retired due to a hip injury that he said first surfaced on serve in the opening set. He took a medical timeout at 2-1 down in the second set and pulled out after exactly two hours of play.
Who will Arnaldi face in the semi-final?
Arnaldi will play 10th seed Flavio Cobolli, another Italian, on Friday. Cobolli reached his first major semi-final by beating Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, and leads Arnaldi 1-0 in their most recent meeting, with the overall head-to-head tied 1-1.
How rare is Arnaldi's run as a low-ranked player?
At world No. 104, Arnaldi is the lowest-ranked man to reach the Roland Garros semifinals or better since Belgium's Filip Dewulf in 1997, who was ranked 122. He is only the third man outside the top 100 to achieve the feat since 1990.
How much court time has Arnaldi clocked this fortnight?
Arnaldi has spent nearly 20 hours on court at this Roland Garros — the most by any player en route to a major quarterfinal since 1991. He said he still has energy left for the remaining matches.
