With the Barcelona Open serving as the battleground, Rafael Nadal, the undisputed king of clay, is poised to make his return to the court after a hiatus. But that won’t be easy for him, as his first opponent is none other than Flavio Cobolli. However, before the highly anticipated bout gets underway, let’s dive deep into Rafa’s first opponent of the tournament, who might give him tough competition.

Italian-born Cobolli has gained notoriety quickly for his outstanding performances, which feature a combination of strength and grace reminiscent of his idols, Novak Djokovic and Fabio Fognini. Cobolli’s respect for the two tennis players is well known, even though he is a relatively new player on the professional tour. The young player is frequently observed mimicking his idols’ playing style and mannerisms.

Last year, in an interview with the ATP Tour, he stated, “My biggest idol is Fabio, and Nole [Novak Djokovic]. I grew up with Fabio’s matches and I tried to improve my game watching him, so I remember a lot of his matches. I usually don’t like to watch matches, but I love to watch his matches. When Fabio is playing, I’m on the TV. When he’s not playing, I’m not.”

Notably, he is one of six Italians under the age of thirty-three who have made it into the Top 100 rankings. Cobolli has a solid record going into the 2024 season, having won six races at the tour level before the season began.

Following his maiden clay-court triumph of the 2024 season over Abdullah Shelbayh in Marrakech, Flavio Cobolli met Pavel Kotov in a rematch in Melbourne in the following round, but could not progress any farther. It was a difficult stretch for the young Italian player, as Sumit Nagal eliminated him in the initial round of the Monte Carlo qualifying stages, ending his journey. Furthermore, the Italian faced Carlos Alcaraz during his Paris campaign, which presented a strong challenge and an opportunity for him to gain firsthand experience of the energy and skill needed to compete at the top level of professional tennis.

However, while Cobolli draws inspiration from his idol Fabio Fognini on the court, it seems the duo also share an amicable relationship off of it.

Flavio Cobolli’s special bond with Fognini: ‘We are always together’

The Djokovic fanboy also has a fond memory of the 2014 Davis Cup match in Italy. Cobolli, who had long appreciated Fognini’s deft playing and perseverance, was deeply affected by this turning point in his career.

The 21-year-old stated, “We are good friends. If I have some problem I speak with him always. I also work with him because he has a management company, so he is like my manager also. I’m not working with him because he’s still playing, but I work with his agency. So I spend a lot of time with him, and if we are in the same tournament we are always together, at dinner or for some practice.” Not only that, he also highlighted how both of them are constantly cheering up for each other on and off the tennis court.

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Now that you know the kind of player Flabio Cobolli is, what are your thoughts on the Italian player getting ready to face Nadal on the court? Do let us know your predictions in the comment section below.

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