Flavio Cobolli defeats Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach 2026 Roland Garros Semifinals

The 24-year-old Florentine displayed immense baseline agility under the Philippe Chatrier roof to defeat the world No. 6, booking his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal appearance.

Foto: Jean-Baptiste Autissier / FFT.

The clay courts of Roland Garros 2026 delivered a historic verdict that cements the sheer depth of Italian tennis. In a high-stakes quarterfinal clash on Wednesday, 14th seed Flavio Cobolli captured the most significant victory of his professional career by defeating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime. With a resilient 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 performance, the 24-year-old booked his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal appearance and guaranteed an Italian finalist for Sunday's championship match.

The encounter was contested under the closed retractable roof of Court Philippe Chatrier, a condition that altered the baseline ball speed. Early on, world No. 6 Auger-Aliassime—the highest-ranked player left in the bottom half following Jannik Sinner's exit—adapted quickly to the conditions. Despite dropping his opening service game, the Canadian broke back twice to claim the opening set 6-4. He sustained that momentum into the early stages of the second frame, securing an immediate break.

However, Cobolli’s trademark baseline explosiveness re-energized the Parisian crowd. Displaying elite court coverage, the native Florentine punished a series of costly unforced errors from the favorite to level the set. As Auger-Aliassime began to display physical fatigue from his prior rounds, his first-serve percentage plummeted. Cobolli capitalized on every tactical opening, dictating play with heavy forehands to claim both the second and third sets 6-4.

The fourth frame highlighted the psychological contrast between the two competitors. While the Canadian grew visibly frustrated and passive, Cobolli maintained a high-intensity offensive rhythm, sealing the victory to protect his unbeaten 3-0 head-to-head record against the Montreal native. With the milestone, Cobolli is projected to secure his debut inside the ATP Top 10 next Monday, unless Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik claims the title. The Italian now awaits the winner of the all-Italian quarterfinal between Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi, locking up a historic milestone for Italian tennis in Paris.