Flavio Cobolli reveals the match he watches repeatedly | ATP tour | Tennis

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‘What a child I was!’ Cobolli chasing the top 10 reveals the match he watches on repeat

The 23-year-old starts his season against Wawrinka in the United Cup on Sunday
January 3, 2026

Two years is a long time in tennis, as Flavio Cobolli can testify.

At the 2024 Australian Open, the Italian arrived as an unheralded world number 100, looking to qualify for the main draw at a major for the first time. Cobolli did just that at Melbourne Park before beating Nicolas Jarry in a five-set epic to earn his first Grand Slam main draw victory. It’s a moment he returns to again and again.

“If I have time, I’ll watch that match,” Cobolli told ATPtour.com in Perth, where he prepares to compete on Australian soil again, this time as world number 22 and two-time ATP Tour champion in the United Cup. “I played great tennis in the qualifiers, but I was new to the Tour. I played against Nico [Jarry] and there was a great multitude for him, but not for me.

“It was tight. Nobody knew me there and I played as a newcomer on the Tour, but when I remember that moment, I remember a man who was happy on the field. Like I am now. So I try to keep this feeling in the ‘new’ part of my career.”

The “new” part of his career that Cobolli refers to has seen him become a consistent Top 30 player in the PIF ATP rankings. The Italian even broke the Top 20 for a three-week period last July and August after reaching his first major quarter-final at Wimbledon.

“It’s only been two years, but I feel like I’m in the Tour now where I wanted to be,” Cobolli said, comparing the video of him taking on Jarry in Melbourne with his current feeling. “When I look back, it’s always great to remember these things and I don’t want to forget where I came from.

“When I look [the video]I think what a child I was. When I look at my matches now and see where I am, I have the feeling that I am very different than two years ago.”

In 2025, Cobolli posted a record of 34-27, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and took his first two ATP Tour crowns (both on clay) in Bucharest and Hamburg respectively. That return marked a major turnaround for the Italian, who won his first two games of the year at the United Cup but was 2-8 at tour level at the end of March as he struggled for form and fitness.

“I know 2025 was a great year, but it didn’t start the way I wanted [after the United Cup] I didn’t win a match until I won the first title in Bucharest,” said Cobolli, who will lead Team Italy’s group stage this year alongside WTA No. 8 Jasmine Paolini. “The goal for this year is to be ready to start the season the way I want, because last year I was also injured. This year I am ready and in shape. We have practiced a lot and are ready to start.

“The goal for me is to be ready for the first match of the year. I enjoy playing in this competition and playing with Jas and the other players in the team. I think we can have a great competition here.”

Proof that Flavio’s brother is Team Italy’s designated hype man 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/L0fkpUlbIF

— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 29, 2025

Cobolli and his team focused on several aspects of his game this offseason, hoping he can surpass his career high of No. 17 this year.

“We worked a lot on the return because we haven’t worked on it much as my return has always been very good,” the 23-year-old explained. “But with this level, with these guys serving the way they do, it’s something you have to improve a lot. Also my serve and my volley game. These are the three things I’ve been working on a lot.”

“The percentage of my serve [will be important] for sure, and my game when I attack. My volley is not the best shot I have. The way I finish volleys will be a goal for this year.

Cobolli hopes to use the relative stability he has found in the Top 30 over the past seven months to play a lighter schedule with an emphasis on the Tour’s biggest events. With improved results at the majors and the ATP Masters 1000s, he believes he can achieve his next ranking goal.

“The goal for this year is definitely to improve and play a little less than last year,” he said ahead of his opening singles match against Stan Wawrinka in Perth. “To be part of the big stages as much as possible. The dream is to be in the Top 10, but it is tough and I know there are a lot of players who work for that too. So it will be tough, but if I think about myself and my team, we will see what happens. It will definitely be a great year.”