Cobolli hopes to play Paris Masters after Vienna withdrawal
Flavio Cobolli was reduced to tears at the Vienna Open following his withdrawal from the contest against Matteo Berrettini.
Cobolli has experienced the finest campaign of his professional career to date in 2026, a period that has included a final appearance at Roland Garros and the acquisition of his third ATP title in Acapulco.
Consequently, Cobolli has secured a robust standing in the race for the year-end ATP Finals, which are scheduled to take place once more in Turin, Italy.
Although Cobolli intended to secure his qualification status at the Vienna Open, questions have emerged regarding his availability for the remainder of the season after he withdrew due to injury during his encounter with his countryman, Berrettini.
Flavio Cobolli provides insight into his emotional state following his withdrawal in Vienna.
Cobolli had no prior history of playing Berrettini, yet he found himself trailing 5-2 in the opening set against his fellow Italian. Appearing to contend with a leg problem, Cobolli broke down in tears during the change of ends at 5-2 down, while Berrettini joined him on the bench.
At that juncture, Cobolli determined that withdrawing from the match was the optimal course of action, as he continued to weep while exiting the court to a supportive reception from the Vienna Open audience.
Amidst significant worry regarding the seriousness of this injury for Cobolli ahead of crucial late-season events, he issued a clarification via his Instagram story.
In this message, Cobolli expressed regret to the Vienna Open spectators for his inability to complete the match, noting that he had actually experienced a physical issue in his previous contest. He also clarified the source of his emotion, confirming it was not linked to the pain he was enduring, and declared his intention to resume play next week at the Paris Masters.
“Vienna, I’m sorry to leave like this,” wrote Cobolli. “I love this tournament and was really looking forward to facing Matteo with you all in the stands. I felt something during my match the other night, but I wanted to give it a go. Today I realised I couldn’t keep going without pushing it too far, so I had to stop.
“Those tears weren’t from pain. Just emotion, maybe a little stress, and the disappointment of having to leave the court when all I wanted was to stay out there. I’ll have more tests tomorrow and update you as soon as I can. Don’t worry, I’m hoping to be back on court in Paris. Thanks for all the love.”
What are Flavio Cobolli’s requirements to qualify for the ATP Finals?
With only two weeks of tournaments remaining to determine the eight participants for this year’s ATP Finals in Turin, merely three players have officially secured their spots. These qualifiers are Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ben Shelton, while Jannik Sinner is sidelined for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.
Daniil Medvedev leads the pack of remaining contenders hoping to reach the ATP Finals, needing just one victory to book his return to Turin. Despite his withdrawal in Vienna, Cobolli remains in a strong position to qualify for the ATP Finals, with only Arthur Fils capable of surpassing him this week.
The roster of remaining players eligible for the ATP Finals this year extends all the way to Tommy Paul in 13th place, with Frances Tiafoe and Rafael Jodar currently holding the final qualification positions.
- 5. Daniil Medvedev – 3710 points (Vienna QF)
- 6. Flavio Cobolli – 3680 points
- 7. Arthur Fils – 3525 points (Basel QF)
- 8. Frances Tiafoe – 3380 points
- 9. Rafael Jodar – 3184 points
- 10. Alex de Minaur – 2930 points (Vienna QF)
- 11. Novak Djokovic – 2890 points
- 12. Taylor Fritz – 2785 points (Basel QF)
- 13. Tommy Paul – 2725 points (Vienna QF)
Significant changes may occur before Cobolli next plans to return to court at the Paris Masters, as his destiny might already be determined by the upcoming results in Vienna and Basel this week.
The primary focus for Cobolli now is to exert every effort ahead of his final tournaments of the year at the Paris Masters and his potential debut at the ATP Finals, before he concludes his season by striving to assist Italy in winning a fourth consecutive Davis Cup title.
