At the BMW Open by Bitpanda, Flavio Cobolli lived a weekend of raw extremes, stunning Alexander Zverev before collapsing in tears after learning his 13-year-old friend Mattia had passed away. Grief shadowed every step, yet he pushed into the final with quiet resilience. There, despite defeat to Ben Shelton, he flipped the script with a surprisingly light runner-up speech, even teasing his girlfriend, his supposed lucky charm.

“Thank you to my team. I hate you guys most of the time, but I also love you,” Cobolli started his runner-up speech. The line drew laughter and set the tone for what followed.

He then turned the spotlight toward his girlfriend, Matilde Galli, with a playful jab. The moment added a lighter edge after a tough final loss. “I called yesterday my girlfriend. I said, ‘Please don’t let me lose,’ but she does so… maybe next time you stay home,” he said, while Matilde Galli was seen laughing. The crowd embraced the joke as Galli became part of the story.

Despite the sudden attention, Galli usually keeps a very low profile. She avoids the spotlight even as Cobolli’s career continues to grow. The couple made their relationship public around 2021. Since then, they have kept most of their private life away from media attention.

Fans only catch glimpses through occasional social media posts. One recent highlight included an off-season trip to Tanzania.

There have been rare public moments in the past as well. In a post from 4 November 2022, seemingly celebrating her birthday, Cobolli wrote: “! THE BEST IS YET TO COME… Tired! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LIFE ,” alongside a video of them sharing a passionate kiss after a match while she was in the stands.

Galli has remained a constant presence in his player box. She has supported him during major tournaments like the Italian Open and Wimbledon.

And as for the final, Cobolli arrived at the BMW Open chasing his fourth career title. His previous wins had come in Bucharest and Hamburg. However, Ben Shelton overpowered him 6-2, 7-5 to seal the championship. The win marked Shelton’s second ATP 500 title of 2026 and the fifth of his career.

The victory also carried historical weight, ending a 24-year drought for American men winning a clay-court title above ATP 250 level. Shelton also earned 500 ranking points, $5,63,347 in prize money, and a new BMW iX3.

Next, both players head to the Madrid Open, where the draw has already been shaken by withdrawals from Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, and Holger Rune due to injuries. 

And as for joking about girlfriends after matches, Cobolli is far from alone, as tennis fans have seen similar moments from other players over the years.

Alex de Minaur charms crowd with sweet message to Katie Boulter at AO

If taking a jab at their girlfriends is an art, tennis fans have certainly seen its masters over the years. The sport often reveals lighter, more human moments beyond the intensity of competition.

Last year at the Australian Open, Alex de Minaur delivered one such moment. It came after he reached his first quarter-final at his home Slam. De Minaur had just defeated Alex Michelsen in a confident performance. The win added another milestone to his growing reputation on the big stage.

The timing made the moment even more interesting. It came just weeks after he and Katie Boulter had announced their engagement. During his on-court interview, he was asked whether the proposal had anything to do with his impressive run. The question set up a playful exchange.

Jim Courier offered his own theory. “You’ve been coming here for a while, you’re a young man, but this is your ninth time playing here at the Australian Open,” Jim said during De Minaur’s on-court interview.

“First time in the quarter-finals and I’m just wondering, you just got engaged, is that a coincidence that it’s all happening now?” The suggestion drew curiosity and laughter from the crowd.

De Minaur responded with a smile and his own perspective. “I don’t believe in coincidences! I think when you’re happy off the court, you play some good tennis on the court,” he smiled, still giving Boulter some of the credit for his winning run.

However, later, Laura Robson, one of Boulter’s close friends, added another layer of humor. “You’ve just got to tell yourself, more wins, more prize money, more wedding budget,” she joked.

De Minaur leaned into it and kept the tone light. “Exactly! That’s honestly, when I’m out there on court, and you see me so stressed out, I’m just thinking about the wedding budget, and that’s why I’m like, ‘I need to win more money, I need to win more matches’. That’s what goes through my head, so now you know.”

Now, that tradition of playful jabs has resurfaced again, this time in Munich, with Flavio Cobolli carrying it forward. As the tour shifts toward Madrid, the connection continues to grow, adding personality to the competition.