Baffled Eugenie Bouchard expressed her horror when she found out Roland Garros had put sick and distressed Matteo Arnaldi in the same room as Flavio Cobolli ahead of the Men’s singles Paris Clay Court finale.
It is needless to say that the 2026 French Open has been a witness to a dramatic turn of events. The last of it came on Friday when Matteo Arnaldi was forced to withdraw from the French Open semi-final against the Italian rising star Flavio Cobolli, who defeated Novak Djokovic in the fourth round of Roland Garros.
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Arnaldi walked into a room full of people, including Cobolli, and narrated why he was unable to continue for the scheduled match. The 25-year-old Italian began experiencing stomach issues on Thursday and was unable to keep food down, and was overcome by dizziness.
“I tried to see if I could get on court but every time I get up I feel dizzy. It was the right decision to take. I just know I can’t move, I can’t eat and I can’t drink – there was no way I was able to play.” – Matteo Arnaldi said.
What shocked the tennis world was that Arnaldi appeared in a press conference beside Cobolli minutes after the former pulled out of the tournament. Eugenie Bouchard was quick to show her disapproval of the incident and sent a 4-word message:
“What is happening here” – Eugenie Bouchard wrote.
Withdrawing from a Grand Slam semifinal is highly unusual and has only happened thrice in Men’s Singles since the Open era began in 1968. A comparable incident that preceded this was when the tennis icon, Rafael Nadal, had to pull out of the Wimbledon semi-final four years ago against Nick Kyrgios, as he was battling through a severe abdominal injury.
Eugenie Bouchard defends Emma Raducanu after the 23-year-old receives “unjustified hate”
Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard recently stepped up to defend the 23-year-old Briton against growing criticism ever since her comeback. Emma Raducanu missed two months of play when she was down with a viral illness. Ever since she made her comeback, the former World No. 10 has suffered defeat in both the opening matches of the Strasbourg Open and the French Open.
Fans were quick to conclude Raducanu’s inconsistent form, but Bouchard defended the 2021 US Open champion and said:
“I think the hate that she [Raducanu] gets at times is totally unjustified. Just because you win a Slam once, doesn’t mean you can win one every single year. The only ones who can do that in our sport are the actual GOATS.” – Eugenie Bouchard explained.
Bouchard, at the age of 20, had created history by becoming the first Canadian player to qualify for the finals of a major women’s tournament. She empathized with Raducanu, saying the former pro faced the same kind of pressure after reaching the finals.
Eugenie Bouchard has now transitioned from her pro tennis career, as she debuted for a broadcasting role for TNT Sports at the 2026 French Open.
Edited by Ahana Bhaumik