Cobolli ends Cilic run to reach first major quarter-final

Wimbledon 2025

Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England Club

Flavio Cobolli, one of tennis’ most exciting prospects, reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final with a hard-fought victory over veteran Marin Cilic at Wimbledon.

In his most difficult challenge of this year’s tournament, Cobolli was pushed hard in a 6-4 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3) win to set up a potential meeting with his idol Novak Djokovic.

The Italian 22nd seed has impressed with his shot variety and entertaining style during his SW19 run.

The 23-year-old was composed against Cilic, aged 36 and a former Wimbledon finalist and 2014 US Open champion, but dropped his first set of the competition in an absorbing encounter.

After a breakthrough 2024, when he rose from outside the world’s top 100 to the top 30, Cobolli is now enjoying his best Grand Slam performance, having previously never gone beyond the third round.

His victory kicks off what could be a historic day for Italy, with Cobolli, Lorenzo Sonego and Jannik Sinner all featuring in the last 16.

Should they all win, it would be the first time three Italian men have reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.

Those who have followed Cobolli’s rise over the past 12 months will not be surprised to see him making a maiden appearance in the last eight of a Grand Slam.

He won his first ATP Tour title this year in Romania and followed that up with victory in Hamburg – both on his favoured surface of clay.

Cobolli has previously stated that as a junior he “hated playing on grass”.

Ironic for someone who also played football, spending five years in the academy of his beloved football club Roma, where he played as a right-back.

He has a tattoo on his chest with the words ‘sei tu l’unica mia sposa, sei tu l’unico mio amor’ which translates as ‘you are my only wife, you are my only love’ – a famous quote from club legend Daniele de Rossi.

When he won the French Open boys’ singles title in 2020, he held a Roma scarf above his head in celebration and says he still prefers to watch football than tennis, attending matches when he can.

He chose to pursue tennis aged 14, preferring the solo nature of the game, and is starting to reap the rewards.

Against the wily Cilic, who beat Briton Jack Draper in the second round and was enjoying his best run at Wimbledon since reaching the final in 2017, Cobolli showed efficiency and poise, needing just two breaks of serve to take a two-set lead.

World number 83 Cilic finally got into the contest when an untimely double fault from Cobolli handed the Croat the third set, the first blemish on Cobolli’s perfect record at this tournament.

With strong strokes from the baseline forming a solid foundation and an impressive shot variety at his disposal, Cobolli quickly put Cilic on the back foot with break points in the fourth.

The pair traded breaks before another tie-break sealed Cobolli’s place in the quarter-finals, where he hopes he will get to play on one of the Grand Slam’s main courts.

His father Stefano, a former tennis player himself who peaked at 238 in the rankings, is now his coach and was in tears as Cobolli lifted his arms to take in the crowd’s adulation after a gruelling three hours and 27 minutes on court.