A historic day for Italian tennis at Roland Garros ended with mixed emotions. On one side came the excitement of seeing Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi secure places in an all-Italian semifinal. On the other was the heartbreak of Matteo Berrettini, whose remarkable comeback run came to a painful halt because of injury.

Berrettini's dream ended on Court Philippe-Chatrier during an eagerly anticipated all-Italian quarterfinal. The former Wimbledon finalist was forced to retire with a muscle problem in his left leg while trailing Arnaldi 7-5, 5-2.

Despite the disappointing ending, the tournament marked an important step forward for Berrettini. Arriving in Paris ranked No. 105 in the world, the Roman will return to the ATP Top 50, confirming his resurgence after years disrupted by physical setbacks.

For Arnaldi, the fairytale continues. Ranked No. 104 before the tournament, the 25-year-old will climb to world No. 34 after reaching his maiden Grand Slam semifinal, moving within touching distance of his career-high ranking. His run in Paris confirms a return to top form after a difficult 2025 season affected by a stress fracture in his right foot.

The quarterfinal began brightly for Berrettini, who raced into a 3-0 lead. However, the fourth game proved decisive. After missing a chance to extend his advantage to 4-0, the momentum shifted. Arnaldi gradually found his rhythm, relying on strong returning and defensive consistency to punish Berrettini's growing error count and claim the opening set 7-5.

The second set followed a similar pattern. Berrettini requested a medical timeout for treatment on his left leg and struggled physically after returning to the court. As the pain worsened, he looked repeatedly toward his team before eventually accepting that he could not continue. Sitting on the bench in tears, he repeatedly said, "I can't believe it," before retiring and embracing Arnaldi at the net.

Earlier in the day, Cobolli had delivered another memorable result for Italy by reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal. The 24-year-old defeated Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 after more than three hours of play.

After a difficult opening set played in windy conditions, Cobolli raised his level significantly. The closing of the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier helped him find greater consistency, allowing him to dictate rallies and complete an impressive comeback.