Matteo Arnaldi has reached the semi-finals of the French Open in Paris after his fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini was forced to retire from their quarter-final due to a hip injury. Arnaldi was leading 7–5, 5–2 when Berrettini stepped off the court, advancing without completing the match. He will now face compatriot Flavio Cobolli in an all-Italian semi-final — a remarkable outcome at Roland-Garros, the clay-court Grand Slam held annually at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris.

The result is a bitter blow for Berrettini, who had been absent from Roland-Garros since 2021 due to a string of injuries. The 30-year-old had previously shown his calibre by reaching the Wimbledon final that same year, but persistent physical setbacks interrupted his career in the years that followed. His return to Paris had appeared promising before the hip problem ended his tournament.

Cobolli, ranked tenth in the world, earned his place in the semi-finals with a hard-fought 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 victory over fourth-seeded Félix Auger-Aliassime of Canada. The Italian had lost his previous six Grand Slam matches against top-20 opponents, making the breakthrough particularly significant. Auger-Aliassime dominated large stretches of the match and held a 3–1 lead in the second set before losing four consecutive games — a collapse from which he never fully recovered. Despite his greater Grand Slam experience, which included two previous semi-final appearances, he could not prevent Cobolli from converting his opportunities efficiently in the third and fourth sets.

For Arnaldi, reaching the last four at a Grand Slam is also a first — he had never previously advanced beyond the fourth round at a major. The all-Italian semi-final guarantees that at least one Italian man will appear in the final, continuing a strong period for Italian men's tennis on the international stage.

Elsewhere in the draw, world number one Aryna Sabalenka suffered a stunning defeat to Diana Shnaider, collapsing after being just two points from victory and losing ten consecutive games — one of the most dramatic reversals of the tournament.