Flavio Cobolli believes a slow and steady approach is key for him to achieve his ultimate goal of breaking into the world’s top 10.
The 23-year-old peaked at a ranking high of 17th earlier this year and is currently in 22nd position. Since January, he has recorded a 33-27 win-loss record on the ATP Tour, winning an ATP 250 title in Romania and then a 500 trophy in Germany. At Wimbledon, he achieved his best-ever run at a Grand Slam by reaching the quarter-finals before losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
Most recently, Cobolli was instrumental in Italy winning its third consecutive Davis Cup title after coming through two marathon matches. In the semi-finals, he ousted Zizou Bergs in a 32-point deciding tiebreaker. Two days later, in the final, he bounced back from a set down to beat Jaume Munar to seal glory for his country.
“My career has progressed in small steps so far. I am maturing gradually, without rushing and without sudden changes, which is how I like it. Every difficulty I face helps me to grow and mature,” Cobolli told the newspaper Corriere della Sera earlier this week.
“Even in major team tennis competitions—the Davis Cup, the Laver Cup, the Hopman Cup, the United Cup—I first participated as a reserve and then as a player. I mean that I have experienced everything in an authentic, I would say pure, almost naive way, without missing a step along the way.
“First, I worked my way up, then I became a protagonist. The road must be built. And the Davis Cup won in Bologna will always be a fundamental milestone on my road.”
There are currently eight Italian men in the top 100 of the PIF ATP rankings with Cobolli being the second-youngest after Lorenzo Musetti. He is coached on the Tour by his father Stefano, a former player who once defeated Stan Wawrinka at a Challenger event. Stefano never broke into the top 200 during his playing career.
“I trust the people who follow me, starting with my dad, so I put my faith in them,” Cobolli states.
“I have a clear idea of where I want to be: in the top 10. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but at this point, the bar has to be raised.
“To keep up with Jannik and the top players, I need to overcome my weaknesses. That doesn’t mean I feel obliged to win all the time, far from it. It’s only by playing, losing and winning that you can grow.”
Heading into 2026, Cobolli is scheduled to begin his season at the United Cup alongside Sara Errani. Then, at the Australian Open, he has a chance of boosting his points tally after losing in the first round of the tournament this year.
