Italian tennis sensation Flavio Cobolli recently offered a candid reflection on his inaugural encounter with his longtime tennis idol, Novak Djokovic, describing the experience as a “disaster” due to overwhelming nerves. Their highly anticipated first meeting occurred in the third round of the 2024 Shanghai Masters, where the immense pressure of facing the legendary Serb resulted in a swift 6-1, 6-2 defeat for the young tennis prodigy.
Currently competing at the Toronto Masters 1000 Canadian Open, a significant ATP Tour event that Djokovic opted to skip, Cobolli has demonstrated his burgeoning talent. The 23-year-old rising star successfully navigated a challenging draw, notably eliminating a local favorite, before sitting down with the Tennis Channel to recount his pivotal Shanghai experience.
Cobolli openly admitted that Djokovic has been his tennis idol since he first picked up a racket, explaining the profound impact of that initial match. “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,” he shared, highlighting the mental hurdle he faced against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
The Italian, however, noted a significant shift in his mindset for their subsequent clash, which took place in the quarterfinal of Wimbledon. His confidence had grown following four impressive victories at the prestigious Grand Slam event, indicating a maturation in his game and a stronger belief in his abilities when facing top-tier competition on the ATP Tour.
Despite not securing a win in their Wimbledon rematch, where he commendably took the first set off the veteran before Djokovic mounted an emphatic comeback, Cobolli viewed it as a considerable achievement. He reflected on the difficulty of defeating Djokovic at a Grand Slam and expressed satisfaction with his performance throughout the season, especially given an early injury, emphasizing changes in his game and mentality that have brought him joy back to the sport.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic’s 2024 season has seen a mix of results. Following his semi-final defeat at Wimbledon, where he fell to the eventual champion in straight sets—marking his first failure to reach the championship match there since 2017—he has secured only one title this season at the Geneva Open. This contrasts with his prior dominance, including his 2022 Wimbledon victory.
Flavio Cobolli, on the other hand, is actively pursuing his third career title in Toronto, having already claimed championships at the Bucharest Open and the Bad Homburg Open earlier this season. His strong run in the Canadian Open positions him for a compelling clash against the World No. 17, who also notably defeated a home favorite to advance.
The Canadian Open itself has seen several prominent ATP Tour players, including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, skip the event following continuous play since the clay swing. Attention will soon shift to the Cincinnati Masters, an important Masters 1000 event where Djokovic is the defending champion, having triumphed over Alcaraz last year. Sinner will enter as the defending champion of the final Major of the season, the US Open, adding another layer of anticipation to the hardcourt swing.
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