Italy’s Flavio Cobolli is playing in the biggest match of his life against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Quarterfinal of the French Open (aka Roland-Garros) on June 3.
This is a match between two of the world’s top-15 players. Auger-Aliassime is currently the world’s No. 6-ranked player (but will become No. 5 after the tournament), according to the ATP, while the 24-year-old Cobolli is ranked at No. 14.
Still, given Auger-Aliassime’s pedigree, Cobolli is entering this match as an underdog, albeit one with a good chance of securing a victory and advancing to the semifinals.
Regardless of what happens on Wednesday, Cobolli will have the support of his longtime girlfriend, Matilde Galli.
These two met at a birthday party six years ago, when Cobolli was 18 years old, and are still going strong. However, while it’s currently unclear whether Galli is with Cobolli at the French Open, it doesn’t seem likely that she is, since she’s busy with her own life as a student.
Cobolli did an interview with ATP at the end of April to speak about his relationship with Galli, and mentioned the difficult aspect of them not being together often because of their respective careers.
“When she’s nervous [studying for an exam], I try to be kind to her and help make her life easier. But it’s not easy when you’re always on the Tour, and you have pressure everywhere and have another pressure at home. It’s not easy. But I think we are doing well. We have a great relationship,” Cobolli was quoted as saying in the article.
After conveying that Galli is rarely on tour with him, Cobolli added, “Of course, I want to see her more than I see her now and to see her more at the tournaments with me. But I think the first goal for her is to finish studying and then we’ll see after college if she can come more than she does now.
“It is tough because we don’t see each other a lot during the year because she’s studying and I do this life [as a tennis player]. It’s tough because you always want to see her during the year, but it’s not possible. And we always try to find a way to be together [even when we are apart],” he continued.
Perhaps Galli will be able to take a break from studying and spectate Cobolli (who is one of three Italians still competing in the French Open) if he advances to the semifinals.
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