One would think that Flavio Cobolli would be worried about his next round opponent after securing a straight-set win over Alex de Minaur. But it seems like the Italian has other worries in mind. Having reached the quarterfinal at Wimbledon for a second year in a row, Cobolli was asked how he would spend the rest of the day. Instead, the Italian opened up about the problem he was facing, which left the crowd surprised.

“I think today my dad cooks pasta with tomato and onion. Or maybe we eat here. There’s the World Cup. I wanna see Spain vs Portugal, so… I hope I can get to the house early. But first we have to find one”, said Cobolli in his on-court interview. “Because actually, we don’t have a house.”

More often than not, players do not have pre-planned lodging arrangements for the entire tournament, should they have an early-round exit, resulting in unnecessary expenditure. That is the case Cobolli has faced on this occasion, as players in action at SW19 are given the privilege of staying in housing accommodation in the residential area surrounding Wimbledon.

However, with accommodation costs high, odds are Cobolli must have booked the rooms for the first week, which is the norm for many tennis players to save costs. However, with Cobolli winning his match on Middle Monday, the Italian will probably have to book rooms for the rest of the week, as he is all set to go deeper in the tournament.

Housing is a serious issue for tennis players, especially lower-ranked players who struggle to afford the costs, as seen in Maja Chwalinska’s case at the French Open. When the unheralded Pole arrived at Roland Garros, her career earnings were modest, which made it difficult for her to pay for her accommodation. She was helped by an external sponsor who covered the costs, as the Pole would not receive the prize money until the end of the tournament.

Cobolli better book rooms till the end of the tournament because the Italian is looking in sublime touch at Wimbledon. Against an elite mover like De Minaur, the Italian was at his best, securing a single crucial break of serve in the 11th game to win the first set. The Australian did hit back in the second set, but the recently crowned runner-up at the French Open came back from a 2-5 deficit to win the set in the tiebreaker. The third set was awash with multiple breaks, but it was Cobolli who got the decisive break in the eighth game to close the set out at 6-3.

Cobolli will face either Grigor Dimitrov or Arthur Fery in the quarterfinals, and given the form the Italian is in, he will fancy his chances against either of them.