Qualified yesterday, Saturday April 18, for the final of the Munich tournament, Flavio Cobolli delivered a moment of emotion by dedicating his victory to Mattia, 13, a young member of his club who recently died in Rome. This Sunday, the Italian lost in the final against Ben Shelton.
Emotion marked Flavio Cobolli’s qualification for the final of the ATP tournament in Munich. The Italian player, 16th in the world, paid tribute to Mattia, a young member of his club Tennis Club Parioli who died on Friday at the age of 13 after falling from the second floor of his apartment in Rome. The young man had left a note in the apartment. A tragedy that the Italian learned after his victory in the quarter-finals against Vit Kopriva (78th).
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The player, a member of the Parioli club in Rome, knew the young Mattia personally. The latter was also made redundant within the structure. According to La Gazzetta dello SportCobolli was keen to emphasize the bond that united them: “He was part of our family”. A disappearance which deeply marked the player. “I remember your smile when you asked me questions. You were a happy boy, full of energy and so eager to learn,” he wrote in a story after the match, comments relayed by RMC Sport.
Yesterday, he entered the court with an “M” drawn on his arm. “At every point, at every ball, at every step, I will think of you. Our tennis school will never be the same without you, but I promise you that you will never be forgotten. I love you so much, little Mattia” he said. Very touched, the player explained that he was particularly affected by this disappearance. “I just finished the match and I’m in shock,” he explained.
“This one is for you”
Despite this difficult context, Cobolli was able to mobilize to reach the final of the German tournament. “I want to dedicate this victory to Mattia and his family,” he said.
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The player also wanted to support the father of the deceased. “Paolo, you are a great dad and you always will be: count on us and be strong for him too,” he wrote on his Instagram. On social networks, a video relayed notably by the journalist Bastien Fachan shows Cobolli particularly moved at the time of his intervention, struggling to contain his tears after raising his hand to the sky as if to grant him a thought.
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“A special victory today. Not only from a tennis point of view, but for something bigger. I think of Mattia, a young boy from my club in Parioli. This one is for you” he declared after his victory, addressing the young man. A message, written in a story, complete with a heart and a photo of him in tears in his towel.
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