RELATED | Dino Prizmic in the form of his life returns to the Plava Laguna Croatia Open
Italian rising star Flavio Cobolli continues to play the tennis of his life. The current season marks the greatest success of his career so far, highlighted by his third ATP title (Mexican Open) and a meteoric rise up the world rankings. Cobolli arrived at the season's second Grand Slam as the World No. 14, knowing that a deep run could propel him into the Top 10 for the very first time.
True to form, Cobolli is enjoying a spectacular tournament in Paris with a historic milestone well within reach. He backed up his stellar form by punching his ticket to a maiden Grand Slam semifinal, defeating the world No. 6 Félix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals.
Having dropped just two sets all tournament, Cobolli will battle fellow countryman Matteo Arnaldi (104.) for a spot in the final. The blockbuster clash is scheduled for Friday, June 5, at 7 PM on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
This deep run by the Italian duo further emphasizes Italy's current dominance in world tennis – not only do they boast the World No. 1, but they also have four players inside the Top 20. Backed by a passionate army of fans, Italian players remain the backbone of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open. It is no coincidence that Cobolli was the first star officially confirmed for the tournament's 2026 edition.
FIRST GRAND SLAM VICTORY FOR PRIZMIC
Another tournament headliner, Dino Prizmic, also leaves Roland Garros with something to show for his efforts. Mirroring the breakthrough season of his older Italian colleague, the Croatian rising star captured his maiden Grand Slam main-draw win at the French Open.
After dismantling American Michael Zheng with a flawless 3-0 victory (6-1, 6-1, 6-3) in the opening round, the 20-year-old Split native put up a fierce fight in the second round against João Fonseca, Brazilian tennis’ next big thing and the World No. 30. Fonseca, it’s worth noting, would go on to eliminate the greatest of all time, Novak Djokovic, later in the tournament.
This Grand Slam milestone adds to an already strong season for Dino – after his first Masters win, entering the top 100, and his first victory against a top 10 player (which he later backed up by defeating Djokovic in Rome) – he has now added his first victory at one of the four biggest tournaments.
Prižmić is highly anticipated in Umag, where his strong form will undoubtedly make him both a crowd favorite and a top contender for the title.
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