Matteo Arnaldi withdrew from the French Open semifinal due to sudden illness on June 5, allowing Flavio Cobolli to reach the final by walkover. The 24-year-old Italian then entertained fans with a practice session on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The withdrawal came just 25 minutes before the scheduled start on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Arnaldi had spent nearly 20 hours on court in prior matches and fell ill overnight with vomiting and dizziness. Cobolli invited two children selected for the pre-match ceremony to walk onto the court with him. He later rallied with a fan named Edouard during the session, drawing applause from spectators who remained after ticket refunds. Alexander Zverev, who will face Cobolli in the final on Sunday, said he felt no major advantage from the extra rest. The second seed holds a 3-1 head-to-head lead over the Italian. It marked only the third walkover in a men's Grand Slam semifinal during the Open Era and the first at Roland Garros.
