'I almost cried' - Flavio Cobolli battles mixed emotions after friend Matteo Arnaldi's shock withdrawal from French Open semi-final

Flavio Cobolli says he ”almost cried” when he found out fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi was withdrawing from their French Open semi-final because of illness.

Cobolli and Arnaldi were set to meet in the second semi-final at Roland-Garros on Friday, with the winner facing second seed Alexander Zverev in the final.

Cobolli will instead get extra rest before his first major final after Arnaldi pulled out shortly before the match.

"It's tough for me to speak also," said Cobolli during a joint press conference with Arnaldi. "When he came to me an hour ago I almost cried. It’s something that you don’t expect at all.

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"I was ready to play this match and when he came I was completely sad for him, but at the same time, of course, I'm really happy for the result that I reached this week.”

Cobolli has made a surprise run to the final, beating fourth seed Felix Auger-Alissiame in four sets in the quarter-finals. His run at the French Open will see him move into the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time next week.

”My dad came to me right before him [Arnaldi] and we had a big hug together with the whole team for reaching the top 10,” he added.

”Every time that I make the best ranking we have a big hug and we did the same routine as always. Now I am sad and happy at the same time.”

'It's a nightmare!' - Expert reaction as Arnaldi pulls out of Roland-Garros semi-final

Video credit: TNT Sports

• Cobolli into final after Arnaldi withdraws due to illness
• Zverev overcomes 'toughest challenge' to reach final

Cobolli will meet Zverev in Sunday's final after the second seed beat Jabuk Mensik in four sets in the semis.

Cobolli and Arnaldi are close friends, having played tennis together as youngsters and teamed up in the Davis Cup for Italy.

”Matteo is a big inspiration for all of us,” said Cobolli. ”He is an amazing player and professional. I think he is the best person outside the court for how he prepares, focuses, cools down.

”He deserved the result he got this week. He got injured last season and the beginning of this one and we all knew about this level, so everyone expected this result from him. His tennis is amazing and I wish him all the best for the future.”

World No. 104 Arnaldi had spent a record 19 hours and 42 minutes on court on his way to his first Grand Slam semi-final.

'I almost cried!' - Cobolli reacts to shock news of Arnaldi retiring from semi-final

Video credit: TNT Sports

He won marathon five-set matches in the third and fourth rounds and, although he benefitted from a mid-match retirement from Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-final, he has been struck down by illness.

"It's tough because how the tournament was, for how many hours I've been on the court, I was feeling actually very good," said Arnaldi.

"To have to withdraw from the first [Grand Slam] semi-finals is not something that you wish to do anyway, and I tried to get ready and try to stay as much as I could here and try to see if I could go forward.

"But every time I get up I feel dizzy and I don't feel like the best and I'm pretty sure if I eat again I'm not going to feel good, so that was the right decision."

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