Flavio Cobolli Makes ‘Disaster’ Admission About Clash with Idol Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic holds a 2-0 head-to-head record over Italian ace Flavio Cobolli, who is participating at the Canadian Open.

Flavio Cobolli Makes ‘Disaster’ Admission About Clash with Idol Novak Djokovic

Flavio Cobolli, Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Hopman Cup, Novak Djokovic)

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Italian tennis ace Flavio Cobolli very well remembers his career’s first match against his idol, Novak Djokovic. They met in the third round of the 2024 Shanghai Masters, and during the match, nerves got the better of him, and he ended up losing with a 6-1, 6-2 scoreline.

Cobolli is in Toronto for the Masters 1000 Canadian Open, which Djokovic has skipped. The 23-year-old knocked out home favorite Alexis Galarneau and later sat for an interview with the Tennis Channel. There, he recalled that Shanghai Masters encounter with the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

Nole is my idol since I started playing tennis. I played him in Shanghai last year, and I did a disaster. I lost 6-1, 6-2 in 45 minutes, and I did a disaster because I was really nervous to play against him. This time, I was more confident in my game; I had four wins in Wimbledon, and I came that day with more confidence in myself.

Cobolli was pitted against the Serb again, this time in the quarterfinal of Wimbledon. He took the first set off the 38-year-old, but Djokovic made an emphatic comeback in the second set before winning two more to secure a spot in the semifinals.

I didn’t win, but it’s never easy to win against him at a Slam, so I think I did a great thing in Wimbledon but also during this season because it starts really tight and I was injured, so I think I changed my game, my mind and now I’m really happy to play tennis on this stage.

Flavio Cobolli added

Djokovic, however, suffered a straight-set defeat to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinal of Wimbledon. It was for the first time since 2017 that Nole failed to secure a berth in the championship clash. He last won the Wimbledon title in 2022 by beating Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.

While Djokovic has lifted just the Geneva Open this season, Cobolli is chasing his career’s third title in Toronto. Both these titles he lifted this season- in the Bucharest Open and at the Bad Homburg Open.

In the Canadian Open, the World No.17 will next be locking horns with Fabian Marozsan. The Hungarian ace knocked out Hugo Dellien and home favorite Felix Auger-Aliassime to schedule the clash with Cobolli.

Steve Johnson on Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the Canadian Open

The Canadian Open saw mass withdrawals as many players preferred rest and recovery after playing continuous tennis since the clay swing. Apart from Novak Djokovic, other top players from the men’s side that made headlines for skipping the Toronto Masters are Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic (via The Tennis Letter)

They are expected to start their campaigns on the North American hard-court swing at the Cincinnati Masters. Top players skipping the Toronto Masters made former player Steve Johnson feel bad for the event.

It’s gonna be…as soon as the tournament is over, it’s going to be fired up for Cincinnati headlines that Sinner, Alcaraz, Novak, all these guys are back. And then you know, it just you feel bad for the Canadian Masters series.

Steve Johnson said on the Nothing Major podcast

It’s uncertain whether Djokovic will play the Cincinnati Masters given that he had skipped it last year. He last won the title here in 2023 by beating Alcaraz, who hasn’t yet tasted title success in the tournament.

Sinner will enter the event as the defending champion. Last year, the four-time Grand Slam champion defeated home favorite Frances Tiafoe in the final. After Cincinnati, tennis world’s focus will shift toward the last Major of the season- the US Open. Sinner is the defending champion, while Alcaraz too will be aiming to win the title for the second time. Djokovic last captured the trophy in 2023.

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