Cobolli in tears after withdrawing from the ATP 500 in Vienna, Berrettini consoles him and hugs him: this is the most beautiful face in sport

The indoor court of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna was supposed to be the scene of a great celebration for Italian tennis, but it was transformed into the setting for a moving lesson in sport and life. During the round of 16 of the ATP 500, Flavio Cobolli, current world number 6, was forced to raise the white flag due to a left leg injury after just 40 minutes of play, with the score 5-2 in favor of Matteo Berrettini.

Upon realizing that he could not continue, the Roman tennis player collapsed on his seat and gave in to profuse tears. Rather than rejoicing for the passage to the quarter-finals against Alex De Minaur, Berrettini sat on his friend’s bench in tears, held him in a long hug and consoled him, trying to give him the energy needed to overcome that dark moment: “I know everything is black now, but wait a minute. There’s still time“.

Real sport also passes through here

In an individual sport where loneliness on the pitch is often ruthless, the image of Matteo Berrettini holding Flavio Cobolli close to him in a brotherly embrace went around the world. The two tennis players, who grew up together in the clubs of Rome dreaming of great tennis since they were children, shared the bench amidst the general emotion of the entire arena. And they showed us how this is true sport, where friendship and humanity prove infinitely stronger than pure competition. A beautiful moment that these two champions gave to all the fans.

The truth about Flavio Cobolli’s tears and the prospects for Paris and Turin

Flavio Cobolli’s tears immediately made fans fear the worst for his participation in the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin, scheduled for November 15th. The Roman tennis player was already wearing a bandage on his thigh, a consequence of the pain suffered in the previous match against Grigor Dimitrov. Late in the evening, Cobolli sent a message to social media to clarify:

Vienna, I’m sorry to say goodbye to you like this. I love this tournament and I really wanted to challenge Matteo, with all of you in the stands. I felt something in the match the other night, but I wanted to try all the way. Today, however, I realized that continuing would have meant pushing too hard and I had to stop. Those tears weren’t of pain. They were emotion, perhaps a little stress and the disappointment of having to leave the field when I just wanted to stay there. I’ll do all the tests tomorrow and will update you as soon as possible. Don’t worry, I plan to be in Paris. Thanks for all the love.

The childhood memory and profound words of Matteo Berrettini

After the match Matteo Berrettini expressed his closeness to his teammate with touching words. A situation, moreover, that he knows well having experienced it many times in a career dotted with injuries:

I feel really sorry for him. I’ve been there many times, maybe too many. That’s why I got excited. I know how difficult it can be and I know how much you want to be in Turin. And the last thing you want is to get injured a few weeks early. But let’s hope it’s nothing too serious.

Matteo also recalled how first of all he and Flavio are friends, rather than rivals, and have known each other since they were children:

The idea today was simply to get out on the field and celebrate the journey we’re both on. We left Rome, we were two kids who played tennis on the weekends. I remember the day he chose tennis over football. I remember his eyes: they are the same ones he still has today, those of that child who dreamed of playing on the most important stages. And I think he deserves to be there. I think he deserves the career he’s building. I really wish him the best and will try to help him in any way I can. I just told him to live in the moment, not to get too far ahead in his mind and thoughts. That’s what I did in the past, but it didn’t help me at all. You have to live one day at a time. I’m sure he has an excellent team of doctors at his disposal who will follow him on his recovery journey.

The meaning of the ATP Finals for an athlete’s career

Recalling his personal disappointment experienced in 2021, Matteo Berrettini explained how fundamental this milestone is for a tennis player’s career:

THEand Nitto ATP Finals are of particular importance for every top tennis player. Even just being there, after a great season, is almost like winning a trophy. Not being able to finish the group in 2021 is probably still the thing that hurts me the most in my entire career. I remember the energy of Turin, the pride of having qualified and of feeling the warmth of my people in the stands. But, fortunately, after that experience I felt so much love from people all over the world. So, maybe it’s a bad memory, but ultimately it’s also a good one, if I think about all the effort I put in to get there. Now, of course, I’m happy that there are so many Italian players and that Sinner also managed to win it. Maybe one day I’ll come back too. I do not know. But I wish Flavio the best.

Everyone is now waiting for the clinical tests to understand if Flavio Cobolli will be able to take the field at the Masters 1000 in Paris and reach the final in Turin. But whatever happens, these two guys showed us all a great page of sport and friendship that we will remember for a long time.